Kapitel 21: Shattered Memories

Damien's POV:

My heart raced as I sat by her bedside, the soft beeping of machines barely masking the roar in my ears. Leslie lay still, her face pale, her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. Revina's words echoed in my head. Both bonds are severed. Even with the tension between us, the thought of never feeling the mate bond again ripped through me. But there was something else—a flicker of hope, something I couldn't explain. That small electric current I felt when I touched her hand—was it real? Could it be enough?

I clutched her hand tighter, trying to draw strength from the warmth of her skin. "Come back to me," I whispered. Please.

A soft murmur escaped her lips, and my breath hitched. She was stirring. Her eyelids fluttered, and after what felt like an eternity, her eyes opened—bright, hazel eyes that I could lose myself in, but there was something off about the way they scanned the room, confused, frightened.