Chapter 82

Elvira POV

I didn’t know how long I’d been sitting in the bath, water long gone cold. My fingers were wrinkled, my skin pale, but I hadn’t moved. I couldn’t.

Every time I closed my eyes, I felt his hands again, Jaxon’s, burning and soft all at once. The way he had looked at me, when I screamed. That moment, that kiss, the heat crawling through my veins… until it turned to fire. Painful, soul-ripping fire.

The bond flared like it wanted to kill me. My scream still rang in my ears.

I curled my knees to my chest and gritted my teeth. What’s happening? Something was wrong with our bond, and it wasn’t just the usual mating confusion. This seems darker. I could still feel his hand trembling as he pulled away from me last night, the haunted look in his eyes as I collapsed against him, crying in confusion and pain.