Elias’s POV

The walk back to Ronan’s quarters felt longer than the entire endurance trial.

My legs were unsteady, my pulse too loud in my ears, and the hallways seemed sharper than usual. It was too bright, too exposed. Every sound echoed. Every breath scraped.

Suppressant crashes always hurt.

But this was something else.

My collar throbbed against my skin, a dull burn that pulsed in time with my heartbeat. My scent wanted to push through it; thick, frantic, unstable and every inhale ...