Louis's POV
Before either of them could question me, I established a mind link, reaching for Lennox. His presence was there—distant, muffled, locked away. I pressed harder, shoving past the haze, forcing the link open.
"Lennox!"
Nothing. Just a heavy wall. He was trying to shut me out, dousing himself in his pain.
I pushed harder. Damn it, don't do this.
"Leave me alone," his voice finally came through, hoarse and flat. I felt him trying to sever the connection.
Panic shot through me. "Wait! Don't cut me off!" My voice cracked with panic, rawer than I meant.
That froze him for a beat.
"What's wrong?" His tone sharpened instantly, and just like that, I felt his pain shoved aside. That was Lennox—no matter how broken he was, the second he thought someone else needed him, he forgot himself.
I swallowed, hating what I was about to do. "It's Levi," I said, forcing a tremor into my voice. "He… he fainted."
