Elias’s POV

Time stalled. Ronan’s fingers hovered at the collar’s release point. It was warm, steady, and terrifying.

A small click sounded beneath his thumb, soft but sharp enough to slice straight through my breath. My heartbeat hit my throat.

He didn’t pull the device off immediately.

He just looked at me, searching, grounding, making sure I was still with him.

“Elias,” he murmured, “breathe.”

I tried but I failed.

My lungs locked as heat surged beneath the collar, ...