Azura's POV
I felt it. The bond.
It was an undeniable, living thing now, humming directly beneath the surface of my skin like an electric current.
It pulsed with a heavy, intoxicating warmth that was completely foreign to my system, sending a slow vibration straight to the center of my chest where an empty void had existed for as long as I could remember.
It was the permanent connection linking my soul directly to Rhydor.
All these years, I had spent my life wondering what a true mate bond would feel like, trapped in the dark while others spoke of its magic.
I had wondered about the sheer agony and desperation he must have felt every single time I forcefully pushed him away, every time I bolted the doors to my heart and utterly refused to let him take a step inside.
Now, with the invisible thread vibrating violently between us, I finally understood the depth of that torment.
But understanding his pain did not mean I was going to blindly surrender to it.
