He turned toward the door.
"Eric…" she called softly.
He paused.
"The bond was supposed to get easier after rejection, wasn't it?"
"Yes," he answered without turning.
"Then why is this still happening?"
He finally looked back at her. "Because I love you with or without the bond." Then he walked out.
He could not stay in the apartment anymore. He couldn't be anywhere near her without wanting to touch her.
Sera's knees buckled. She dropped onto the bed. The tears came without warning. She pressed her face into the pillow to muffle the sound, but the sobs tore through her anyway.
She missed him all over again.
It was ridiculous how that worked. He had just been here.
But being his mistress?
No.
She was not going to be reduced to some hidden indulgence.
*****
Vivienne woke just at dawn. Pale light seeped through the gauze curtains of her estate. She lay still for a bit, staring at the ceiling, calculating.
