Page 6 of Second

Chapter 3

THE DARKNESSof the auxiliary tunnel wrapped around Elara like a suffocating shroud. Her breaths came quick and shallow as she pressed herself against the damp, cold wall. She strained her ears, struggling to hear past the dull roar of her own pulse. Somewhere beyond the tunnel entrance, Zar’Ryn was fighting for his life—for her life and the lives of the women with her—and she could feel every agonizing moment of it through thebond.

His fury slammed into her, raw and relentless. It was a wildfire that consumed her thoughts, making it impossible to think clearly. Beneath it, she felt flashes of pain, bursts of frustration, and an undercurrent of something she couldn’t name. Protectiveness? Determination? Whatever it was, it burned just as fiercely, wrapping around her like a lifeline.

“Think, Elara,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. “He said to hide. Just… hide.”

But hiding felt wrong. The bond between them hummed with every strike of his blade, every snarl of the Marauders he fought. She could almost see it in her mind’s eye—Zar’Ryn moving with deadly precision, his body a blur of lethal efficiency. Yet she also felt the toll it was taking on him, the way her emotions distracted him and made each movement just a fraction slower than it should havebeen.

Her fingers tightened around the cold, flowing fabric of his shirt—the only thing covering her now. The scent of him lingered faintly, grounding her even as the chaos of their shared connection threatened to overwhelmher.

“You can’t stay here hiding with the others,” she muttered, forcing herself to take slow, deliberate breaths. “You have to do something.”

The sound of distant footsteps echoed through the tunnel, sharp and deliberate. Elara’s heart clenched. She pressed herself flatter against the wall, her body trembling. The bond flared, and she felt Zar’Ryn’s awareness sharpen, his attention shifting for just a moment before snapping back to the fight.

“They’re coming for us,” she told the women, the words a terrified whisper. “He can’t fight them all.”

Her instincts screamed at her to run deeper into the tunnel, to put as much distance as possible between herself and the approaching threat. But something inside of her rebelled against the idea of abandoning him. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—leave him to face this alone. Plus, the women were in no shape to run. So, hide itwas.

The battle raged on. She could feel it, every blow Zar’Ryn struck reverberating through the bond like a pulse. His anger and frustration battered against her, mingling with the sharp pain of each injury he sustained. Elara squeezed her eyes shut,clutching the bracelet on her wrist as if she could somehow use it to block out the flood of emotions.

A sudden, searing wave of pain jolted through her, stealing her breath. She doubled over, sinking to her knees, clutching her side as if the wound was her own. “Zar’Ryn,” she gasped, her voice barely audible.

He was hurt. Badly.

Her panic surged, tangling with his resolve and creating a storm of conflicting emotions that left her dizzy. She stumbled to her feet, her breathing ragged. She couldn’t stay hidden. “Stay here until I come back,” she instructed the women. To her surprise they didn’t argue. Perhaps they were too worn down to argue.

Elara emerged from the shadows of the tunnel just as Zar’Ryn executed the last of the Marauders. The chamber was a mess of blood and bodies, the air thick with the metallic tang of death. Zar’Ryn stood in the center, his chest heaving, his blade dripping with dark, viscous blood. He turned to her, his expression a mixture of anger and relief.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his voice sharp. “Why are you not with the other women?”

She hesitated, her gaze darting to the gash on his side, the blood seeping through his fingers. “You’re hurt,” she said, her voice trembling.

“I am fine,” he snapped. “You were supposed to stay hidden.”

“I couldn’t just sit there and wait for them to find us,” she shot back, her fear giving way to defiance. “I felt… everything. Iknew you needed me.”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he stepped closer, his piercing amethyst gaze locking onto hers. “You should not have come out. You have put yourself and the rest of the women at risk.”

“So have you,” she countered, her voice softer now. “And you’re bleeding. Let me help you.”

He hesitated, the bond humming with his conflicted emotions. Finally, he nodded, lowering his blade.

Elara stepped closer, her hands trembling as she reached for the wound on his side. The bond flared, and she felt his pain as if it were her own. She winced, her fingers brushing just below his injury.

“It’s not deep,” she said, though her voice was shaky. “But it needs to be cleaned and covered as soon as possible.”

Zar’Ryn nodded silently, his gaze never leaving her face. For a moment, the chaos around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them and the bond that pulsed between them like a living thing.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber, and Zar’Ryn’s expression hardened. He stepped in front of her, his blade raised oncemore.

“More are coming,” he said grimly. “Stay behind me.”

Elara opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she felt his resolve surge through the bond. She nodded, her fingers tightening around the bracelet on her wrist.

The Marauders entered the chamber, their guttural growls filling the air. Zar’Ryn moved with practiced precision, his blade cutting through the first wave of attackers with ease. But Elaracould feel his fatigue, the way his movements were just a fraction slower than before.

One of the Marauders broke through his defenses, his claws slashing toward Elara. She gasped, stumbling back, but Zar’Ryn was there, his blade cutting through the creature before it could reach her. The bond flared, and she felt his resolve and protectiveness like a physical force.

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