We didn't stop running.
Not until the forest thinned.
Not until the pressure faded—
Just a little.
Then finally—
Leo slowed.
"Stop."
I collapsed onto my knees instantly.
My lungs burned.
My chest ached.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The bond—
Was still shaking.
"He let us go," Kai said, breathing hard.
"No," Evan replied immediately.
"He didn't let us."
A pause.
"He chose not to follow."
That was worse.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady the trembling.
"He was right there…"
My voice came out small.
Unsteady.
Leo ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear for once.
"That shouldn't have happened."
Kai let out a sharp breath. "What part? The fact that he found us, or the fact that he almost took her without trying?"
"Both."
Silence fell again.
Heavy.
Evan's gaze shifted to me.
Focused. Analytical.
Too calm.
"Do it again."
I blinked. "What?"
"The surge," he clarified.
"The one that pushed him back."
I stared at him.
"You think I can just do that again?!"
"It matters if you can," he said simply.
Kai shook his head. "Not now."
"Now is exactly when it matters," Evan replied.
"Because if that was instinct—"
"It won't be reliable," Leo finished.
My stomach twisted.
"So I'm either dangerous… or useless," I muttered.
"No," Leo said immediately.
I looked up.
"You're unpredictable."
…Great.
That didn't help.
Kai crouched slightly in front of me.
Closer.
Softer than before.
"You pushed him back," he said.
"Do you understand what that means?"
I swallowed.
"Not really."
"It means," he said quietly,
"You're not defenseless."
The bond flickered.
Warmer.
But it didn't last.
Because the memory hit again—
That moment.
That presence.
"He wasn't even trying," I whispered.
That wiped the calm instantly.
Leo's expression hardened.
Kai looked away.
Even Evan went quiet.
Because we all knew—
It was true.
"I felt him," I continued.
"He wasn't using full strength."
My chest tightened.
"He didn't need to."
Silence.
Then—
Evan spoke.
Low.
Thoughtful.
"That's not entirely accurate."
We all looked at him.
"He tested you," Evan said.
"Not attacked."
Kai frowned. "That didn't feel like a test."
"It was," Evan insisted.
"His focus wasn't on overpowering us."
A pause.
"It was on her."
My breath caught.
Leo's jaw tightened.
"Meaning?"
Evan's eyes met mine.
"He was measuring you."
That sent a chill straight through me.
Before I could respond—
The bond shifted again.
Not theirs.
His.
Faint.
But there.