Chapter 22 The Breaking Point

• "He was losing. My mate was losing."
• My chest squeezed so tight I thought I might suffocate, every breath a conscious battle against the iron bands of panic wrapping around my ribs. The mate bond pulsed with waves of agony that had nothing to do with physical pain and everything to do with watching the other half of my soul being systematically destroyed.
• The sand beneath Darius's knees was already dark with blood, the crimson drops catching the torchlight like scattered rubies. The flickering flames cast cruel shadows across his bowed frame, highlighting every cut, every bruise, every sign of the beating he was enduring. His breaths came ragged and sharp, his powerful chest heaving with the effort of staying conscious while his wolf howled beneath his skin, clawing desperately to break free and unleash the full fury of his supernatural nature.