Something shifted in the bond after Damian's confession.
Not in a good way. In a confusing, terrifying way.
The physical pain eased. The desperate, clawing need for proximity faded to a manageable ache. The bond that had been torture for so long became... bearable.
But with the physical relief came something worse.
Emotional attachment.
Selene noticed it first during her morning duties two days after the conversation.
She was preparing Damian's breakfast. The familiar routine. And instead of just going through the motions, she found herself watching him. Noticing small things.
The way he rubbed his temples when he was stressed. The way he held his pen. The small sigh he made when reading something that troubled him.
And she cared. Not because the bond demanded it. But because some part of her genuinely wanted him to be okay.
That realization terrified her.
"You're staring again," Damian said without looking up.
Selene jerked her attention back to the tea. "Sorry."
