Davian.
My heart ached with every single drop of water I poured on Maria.
It wasn't a dull ache, it was sharp, persistent, clawing at my chest in a way I wasn't prepared for. Each splash that landed on her body sent a strange jolt through me, as though the pain wasn't hers alone. As though some twisted part of me was absorbing it too. My hand trembled more than once, fingers tightening around the container, my instincts screaming at me to stop.
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
Vanessa was still in the room.
Her presence pressed down on me like an unspoken reminder, like eyes I could feel even when I wasn't looking. What would she think if I hesitated? What would she think if she saw mercy where punishment was demanded? I was her Alpha. Her protector. Her mate-to-be. I couldn't afford weakness, not now, not in front of her.
And yet… Why did it hurt so much?
