Sally's POV
Vance's groan cuts through the suffocating silence, his body jerking beneath the bloodstained blanket draped over him.
Juliette jumps, her fingernails pressing crescents into her knees as her wide eyes snap to his face. His head lolls to one side, eyelids still sealed shut, but his hand reaches out blindly in her direction like he's searching for something he can't name.
Juliette's breathing turns shallow and quick. "Why does he keep doing that?"
"The mate bond doesn't just disappear," Philip explains, his voice matter-of-fact in a way that makes Juliette flinch.
She squeezes her eyes shut and wraps her arms around herself. "I can't handle this. It's too much."
"You don't have to figure it all out tonight," I say, fighting to keep the desperation out of my voice as I watch panic creep across her features. "Just focus on breathing right now. Take it one moment at a time."
