Mallory:
The moment our eyes met, something snapped inside me. It wasn't painful—but it was jarring. Like my whole body had gone electric. Like I'd suddenly stepped into a different realm entirely, one where the only things that mattered were his eyes on mine, and the breath I couldn't seem to take in.
My heart hammered in my chest, hard and loud and fast. I couldn't look away. Couldn't breathe.
And then I felt it.
The bond.
The bond.
Every fairytale I'd heard whispered in corners of the Nightshade Pack gatherings. Every dreamy sigh girls released when they talked about soulmates, true mates, destined partners. I thought those were just stories. I'd never expected to feel something so real, so immediate, and so overwhelming.
My stomach twisted and heat flushed my skin from head to toe. I couldn't make sense of anything—only that my soul was clawing toward him. Reaching. Anchoring.