Chapter 13 · Forbidden Sync

"Get your hands off me, you arrogant prick!"

I screamed it right into his face, but Kael didn't budge. He had me pinned against the peeling wallpaper of the apartment, his forearm pressing into my collarbone just enough to let me know I wasn't going anywhere. The air between us was thick, smelling of ozone and that sharp, metallic scent of old blood.

"You tried to cut the bond, Sera," Kael hissed, his voice dropping an octave. "Do you have any idea what happens when you try to rip a soul-tether with a piece of broken glass?"

"I don't care!" I spat, struggling against his grip. "I'd rather be dead than be your pet. Now let go before I find a way to make you regret this."

He didn't laugh. He didn't even smile. Instead, he shifted his weight, crowding me further into the wall. His chest was inches from mine, and I could feel the heat radiating off him, a stark contrast to the sudden, icy chill blooming from my wrist.

I looked down. The mark—the golden shackle that had defined my misery for weeks—wasn't gold anymore.