Cornelia's POV
The moment Colter spoke those words, every fiber in my being screamed to strip away the barriers between us. Yet he turned his head away, denial written across his fevered features. "I cannot."
"What's stopping you?" The words escaped me with desperate force. "You're suffering, Colter. Allow me to ease this burden."
"Too dangerous," he managed through gritted teeth.
"David trusted me. I guided him through this. Please, let me do the same for you."
His head moved weakly from side to side. "David acted without caution. I refuse to follow his path."
A deep groan tore from his throat as he clutched his abdomen, and the tremors wracking his body intensified beyond what I thought humanly possible.
"Colter, I beg you," my voice fractured with emotion, tears threatening to spill. My fingers found their way to his hair, brushing damp strands from his burning forehead. "Allow me this chance to help you. Please."
