Damein.
I was so uneasy.
The feeling sat heavily in my chest, refusing to leave no matter how hard I tried to stay calm. Every second that passed without knowing where Maria was only made the restlessness worse, tightening around me until it became difficult to focus on anything else.
Actually, nothing was permitted to happen to Maria.
Nothing.
The thought echoed firmly in my mind with growing intensity. I hadn't even marked her yet. I hadn't felt what a true marked bond would be like between us, hadn't experienced the depth of connection everyone always spoke about with such certainty.
And somehow, that realization only made the fear inside me stronger.
Honestly, I was terrified of losing Maria.
Not just because of the mate bond pulling at me constantly, not just because every instinct inside me reacted violently at the thought of her being in danger… but because somewhere along the line, without even realizing when it happened, I had already fallen in love with her.
