AYLA'S POV
The chain seared my skin like molten iron, but it wasn't just choking my breath—it was reaching deeper. Into me. Into the bond.
Each pulse of its black runes scraped against my soul, trying to tear the threads that bound me to Kael. I could feel it tugging, unraveling, like fingers clawing through my chest. My vision blurred at the edges, my lungs screaming, my fire sputtering as the chain tightened.
But worse than the pain was what I saw when I looked at Kael.
He was free. The chains that had bound him lay shattered at his feet, his body bloodied and torn—but free. And yet I knew instantly he hadn't broken them. The Binder had released him. Played him.
Because the moment Kael's golden eyes locked on me, I saw it—his wolf was in control. His body trembled with barely contained violence, his claws slick with his own blood. His gaze wasn't just rage. It was desperation. A madness born of love.
The Binder's voice coiled around me, hot and cold at once.
