Rissa’s POV

I didn’t stop walking until I reached the edge of the estate grounds, past the sparring fields and the cold stone walls that had begun to feel more like a cage than a sanctuary.

My hands were still shaking.

Not from exhaustion.

Not from pain.

From what I felt in that moment, when I touched his chest and looked into Mark’s eyes.

The bond between us wasn’t just a tether anymore. It was alive. It beat under my skin like another heartbeat. When I stepped away, it felt like ...