But he didn't move.
Didn't act.
Because despite everything—
The bond held him still.
Not with weakness.
But with awareness.
Killing her would not free him.
It would only destroy what little control he still possessed.
And Varek did not lose control.
Ever.
His gaze sharpened slightly, tracing every detail of her face—the defiance, the disgust, the resistance.
She felt it too.
Of course she did.
And she hated it.
Good.
The corner of his mouth lifted faintly—not quite a smile, not quite anything human.
"You speak boldly," he said at last, his voice calm—too calm for the tension coiling between them.
Measured.
Cold.
"But I expected nothing less."
The bond pulsed again.
Stronger this time.
As if reacting to his voice.
Annoying.
He took a single step forward.
The forest seemed to shift with him.
Not in fear.
In recognition.
"Let me make something clear," he continued, tone quiet but absolute. "You are not special because of this bond."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"If anything, it is… unfortunate."
The word settled between them like a verdict.
Not anger.
Not insult.
Worse.
Dismissal.
He watched her carefully.
Watched the reaction.
Memorized it.
Just as he had done that night—centuries ago.
Some habits never left.
"I do not need a mate," he added, each word precise. "And I certainly did not choose one."
The bond pulsed again.
Sharper.
Almost like resistance.
He ignored it.
As he ignored everything that threatened his control.
His expression returned to stillness—perfect, unreadable.
Ancient.
"You may return to your kind," he said, stepping back now, already withdrawing from the moment as if it held no weight. "This changes nothing."
A lie.
They both felt it.
The air itself carried the truth.
Nothing had ever changed more.
But Varek would rather burn the world down again than admit that.
His gaze lingered on her for one final second.
Just one.
Enough to feel it—
That pull.
That connection.
That dangerous, living thing between them.
Then it was gone.
Buried.
Locked away.
Where it belonged.
"Stay out of my path," he finished quietly. "For your sake."
And with that—
He turned.
Not rushed.
Not hesitant.
Certain.
Because if he stayed any longer—
If he allowed even a second more—
The control he had built over a century might begin to crack.
And that…
Was something he would never allow.
Behind him, the bond pulsed once more.
Unrelenting.
Unbroken.
Unfinished.
Varek did not look back.