The Abyss shifted around them, alive, breathing, reacting to the bond that bound Seris and Mason. Shadows bent toward Mason's presence, protective and possessive, yet they also obeyed Seris's own commands—acknowledging her growing goddess-blood power.
"You cannot resist me," Mason whispered, moving closer, shadows coiling around them both. "Every heartbeat, every spark of independence… only strengthens the tether. You are mine, Seris. Already, fully, even when you deny it."
Seris's chest heaved. She hated him. She feared him. Yet the pull of his obsession was intoxicating. Shadows licked her arms, responding to both her defiance and Mason's presence, creating a dangerous symphony of power.
When a rival immortal appeared, she struck with precision, her power amplified by the tether, every strike threaded with Mason's obsessive presence. He leaned close, brushing a shadowy tendril across her cheek. "You are mine," he whispered. "And you will learn to crave it, just as I crave you."