POV. Rayder

As soon as the door closed, the sound spread through the house and pierced my chest as if it had exploded inside me. At that very moment, the bond was broken, and I knew. My whole body reacted before my mind could comprehend, and my legs gave way. The floor became distant, the air caught in my throat, and the pain that followed was so intense that for a moment I believed my heart had stopped beating. It was physical, real pain, a hot, sharp sensation that did not come from ...