49. (DANE POV)

(DANE POV)

Watching her motionless on the bed, a wave of shame washed over me. I berated myself for letting the situation spiral to such a dire point.

Her hand remained in mine, a connection to the bond I was so afraid of breaking now. I held on, desperate for any sign of her awareness and needs, any slight response to my presence.

Deirk broke my cycle of remorse the second he walked back in. "Well, she has color again," he remarked. His observation, though meant to be reassuring, only reminded me of how pale I'd let her become under my care.

The irony that I had always prided myself on being able to protect those I cared about, and I ultimately ended up endangering her, was not lost on me.

The mishap had been a close call, too close.

Failing to notice the disconnect when my wound healed, leaving us no longer linked in that crucial moment, nearly cost her life.

It was a lapse that forced me to summon Magness for help.

A decision made in utter desperation.

"Yeah, and there