KAYE'S POVThe anchor pulls.Space folds and tears, dragging at my body like a tide that wants to rip me away from everything that still matters.I feel Ethan’s grip tighten around my hand, his instinct forcing us forward, forcing survival. Through the mate bond, I feel his panic spike when he realizes what is happening.I stop.I plant my feet.The pull nearly tears my arm from its socket, but I do not let go.“No,” I say, out loud and through the bond at the same time.Ethan stumbles as the resistance jolts him. He turns, eyes wide, already knowing.“Kaye,” he says. “We have to go. Now.”Behind us, the chamber shakes. Cracks spider across the walls. Energy screams as Theo and Scottie bear down on Subject Zero, forcing her to her knees again.My mother.Bleeding. Fighting. Still refusing to beg.I look at Ethan, and the bond opens completely. I do not shield my thoughts. I do not soften them.I let him feel it all.The truth.The certainty.The choice.I am not leaving her.His chest
Last Updated : 2025-12-28 Read more