Chapter 34 · The Third Beat

The third heartbeat is louder than mine.

I can feel it through Kade's chest, through the floor, through the air itself. It's not his original rhythm—the one the company buried under kill code and compliance triggers. It's not mine either, even though my pulse has been tangled with his since the night I pulled him out of that transport.

This one is fast. Aggressive. Like something just woke up and realized it's been locked in a box for way too long.

"Mara." Kade's voice is rough, stripped down to nothing but effort. His hand tightens around mine. The blue light in his chest flares so bright I have to squint. "You need to move."

"Not without you."

"I'm not asking."

But he doesn't let go. His fingers are locked around my wrist like he's the one holding on for dear life, not me. The glow under his skin pulses in time with that third beat, and I can see the edges of it now—thin lines of light tracing up his neck, across his collarbone, down his arms. It looks like a map. Or a countdown.

Elara's voice cuts through the noise.