Darcel:
Clyde stopped me on the stairs, his presence commanding my attention like a force of nature. His knowing gaze pinned me in place, freezing the words on my tongue. “You didn’t tell her the truth,” he said, his tone laden with disappointment and something heavier—concern, perhaps.
I ran my fingers through my hair, searching for an explanation that wouldn’t sound like an excuse. But the truth was too raw, too shameful to speak aloud. “I couldn’t,” I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. “How could I tell her she’s tied to someone like me?”
Clyde sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of countless lifetimes. “You didn’t tell her that if the bond snaps, you die?” he asked, his voice lowering as he stepped closer. The quiet intensity of his words brought a flush to my cheeks.
“No,” I
