CALEB POV
The mate bond snapped.
I felt it break like a real cord being cut, the connection between Lily and me suddenly gone. One moment I could feel her emotions, her thoughts, her very presence in my soul. The next moment - nothing.
"Lily!" I shouted, reaching for her as she sat on the Balance chair, power swirling around her like a silver storm. But my hand passed right through her, as if she was becoming something beyond physical touch.
"The Architect transformation severs all personal bonds," the golden Council member explained sadly. "She belongs to all of existence now, not to any individual."
"No," I said furiously. "That's not how this works. I won't lose her."
But even as I spoke, I could see Lily changing. Her eyes held knowledge of countless dimensions, her voice carried the weight of cosmic obligation. The girl who used to worry about pack meetings was becoming something that could change reality with a thought.
