Selene's POV
Cassidy finished bandaging my shoulder in tense silence.
The healer's hands were steady, but the room felt tight, like the air itself was afraid to move.
White cloth wrapped around my shoulder, layer after layer, until the burning pain dulled into a heavy, throbbing ache beneath the tight bandages.
Each pull of the cloth made my skin sting, but I barely noticed.
My attention was fixed across the room.
Damon stood beside the tall window.
His back was rigid.
His shoulders locked in place like stone.
Both hands were clenched so tightly into fists that the muscles in his forearms stood out like cords beneath his skin.
Moonlight spilled through the glass and washed over him, painting silver across dark hair and tense shoulders.
He hadn't moved since Cassidy started treating me.
Not once.
The bond between us hummed softly, like a string pulled too tight.
I could feel his emotions through it.
Rage.
Cold. Controlled. Dangerous.
