- Nikolai Volkov:
The moment Damon's words echoed in my ears—
*You'll regret this, Nikolai. You'll come back to me. You always do. Bond or not, you are always going to be mine*
—my body betrayed me. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and my legs felt like they would give out beneath me.
My chest tightened, a suffocating pressure making it impossible to take a full breath.
I couldn't stay in that basement any longer. If I did, I would crumble.
I would go to him, just like he said, and lose myself all over again.
As if reading my mind, Alexei and Dimitri sprang into action.
Before I could take another shaky step, Alexei grabbed my arm firmly, steadying me.
Dimitri didn't waste a second—he scooped me up effortlessly, as if I weighed nothing, and carried me out of the room.
My voice caught in my throat; I couldn't even muster the strength to protest.
We left Damon behind, his chained form slumped in defeat, but his piercing eyes never left me.
