Olessia's legs wobbled, but she didn't back away. Fear was everywhere... sitting in her throat, shaking through her fingers, making her chest feel too tight.
Of course she was scared, anyone would be. But this fear wasn't simple, it tangled with disbelief, hurt, and something that felt a lot like stubbornness.
Just standing here and seeing His Royalty Kaive like this… it tore something inside her. This wasn't the man who shielded her from anyone who looked at her wrong. This wasn't the man who scolded her gently and then helped her anyway.
Now he stood chained to a cave wall, with his eyes dark and wild, telling her he wanted to crush her... to kill her.
Her stomach twisted. Hearing those words from him felt unreal, like her mind refused to accept it. How could the same person who tucked a blanket around her at night now speak with a voice that craved her death?
