12. Katya

The bond has a strange way of keeping me up at night. It hums under my skin, a constant reminder that no matter how much distance I try to put between myself and Ruslan, it’ll never be enough. Even now, lying in my bed, I can feel it pulling at me, tugging me in his direction.

I try to ignore it, forcing myself to close my eyes and shut out the world, but it’s no use. His presence is too strong, too consuming. And tonight, something’s different.

The bond is louder, more insistent, and I can feel his emotions crashing over me in waves. The anger, the frustration—those are familiar, but there’s something else now. Something darker. Hotter.

I feel it, deep in my chest, a tug that’s more insistent than the usual pull of the bond. It’s not panic or anger this time. It’s something more primal, more urgent. And it’s coming from him.

I can feel his desire, hot and raw, pushing through the bond, wrapping around me like a heated coil. My breath catches, and I sit up in bed, my heart pounding.