Chapter 22 · The Only Cure

"Get away from me, Elara!"

Kane didn't just shout—he snarled. He slammed his back against the stone wall, chest heaving like he was fighting a war inside his own skin. His eyes weren't gold anymore. They were a violent, bleeding crimson, pupils blown wide and feral.

I didn't listen. I stepped closer, boots clicking on the cold floor. "You're shaking, Kane. Just let me—"

"I said back off!"

He lunged. His hand snapped out, catching my wrist in a grip that bordered on bruising. One blur of motion, and I was shoved hard against the wall. The impact knocked the air right out of my lungs.

He was a wall of heat pressing into me. I could feel his heart thrumming through his tunic—erratic, hammering like a trapped animal. He wasn't looking at my face. He was staring at my neck, at the pulse jumping in my throat.

"That bastard... Silas..." Kane hissed. The sound was a low, dangerous vibration. "What did he put in that gas?"

"I don't know," I gasped, trying to shift my weight. "But you're not yourself. You're hurting. Let me help."

"Help?" He let out a sharp, mocking bark of a laugh.