Jade
Each breath felt like I was fighting against something I couldn’t control. The bond between Zade and me pulsed beneath my skin, a silent, constant pull I couldn’t escape. It was always there, tugging at me, a reminder that I was tied to him in ways I didn’t choose, ways I didn’t want. The mark on my neck flared to life every time he was near, a searing burn that never let me forget what had been done to me, what had been taken without my consent.
I hated it. I hated him for it.
At least, that’s what I told myself. Over and over, like if I said it enough, maybe it would become true.
The days melted together in a blur of distractions. I buried myself in schoolwork, hiding behind piles of textbooks and shallow conversations, pretending I could outrun the bond that had already become a part of me. I told myself that if I just ignored it long enough, it would fade, that eventually it would vanish. It had to.
But every time I sensed Zade nearby, the lie crumbled a little more.
He kept his distance, just like he promised. He stayed in the shadows, always close enough that I felt his presence but never close enough to force himself into my space. He watched silently, giving me the illusion of freedom even as the connection between us grew stronger with every passing moment.
It should have made it easier. It should have helped me forget.
Instead, it only made me notice him more.
It was the way he didn’t stare, but still managed to look like he was memorizing me. It was the way he tensed when someone else talked too close or laughed too loud in my direction. It was the way his entire body reacted when he thought I wasn’t paying attention — a man barely containing something wild inside him.
And worst of all, it was the way my body responded to him.
I hated that I could feel him before I saw him. I hated the way my skin prickled, the way my heart picked up speed, the way my breath caught in my throat whenever I sensed him near. The pull between us was a living thing, growing stronger every day, and no matter how fiercely I fought it, I couldn’t deny its existence.
I finally snapped after a long day of pretending.
The sun was just beginning to set, casting the world in shades of gold and crimson. I caught sight of him leaning against a tree across the quad, his posture deceptively casual. But I knew better. I could feel the tension in him, the way he was holding himself back for my sake.
It made something inside me crack.
I dropped my bag onto the sidewalk and stormed toward him, my fists clenched tightly at my sides. He didn’t move, just watched me with those dark, steady eyes, as if he had been expecting this.
When I reached him, I let the anger pour out.
“You’re still here,” I hissed, my voice shaking with emotion I couldn’t name. “You said you’d give me space.”
“I am giving you space,” Zade said, his voice calm, so calm it only infuriated me more. “I haven’t spoken to you. I haven’t touched you. I’ve only watched.”
“That’s not space,” I snapped, my chest heaving. “That’s stalking.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked, but he stayed still, letting me unleash every bit of venom I had stored inside. He didn’t argue. He didn’t defend himself. He just absorbed my anger like he thought he deserved it.
“I can’t think when you’re near,” I said, my voice breaking despite myself. “I can’t breathe. I can’t… be normal.”
Zade’s expression softened in a way that made my heart twist painfully. He took a slow breath, as if steadying himself before speaking.
“I know it’s overwhelming,” he said quietly. “I feel it too. Every second I’m near you, it’s a battle not to go to you. Not to touch you. Not to claim you again.”
I stumbled back a step, overwhelmed by the raw honesty in his voice. He sounded like he was barely holding on, and somehow, that terrified me more than his strength ever could.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered, wrapping my arms tightly around myself like I could hold all the broken pieces together.
“I didn’t either,” he said, the words heavy with regret. “But it’s real, Jade. You feel it, even if you don’t want to admit it.”
I shook my head fiercely, trying to reject it, trying to cling to the life I had built before him. “I don’t want this.”
Zade’s shoulders tensed, but he nodded slowly, the movement stiff with restraint. “I won’t push you. I won’t force you. You have my word.”
The sincerity in his voice cut through me like a blade. I wanted to scream at him, to blame him for everything. But deep down, I knew he wasn’t the enemy. This bond, this impossible, undeniable thing between us, wasn’t something either of us had chosen.
It simply was.
“I need you to stay away,” I said, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. “I need space. Real space.”
He stared at me for a long, agonizing moment. I could see the struggle written across his face, the way every part of him screamed to reach for me, to pull me close and never let go. But he didn’t move.
“I’ll stay away,” he said finally, his voice rough with emotion he wasn’t letting himself show. “But the bond will always be there. You can’t outrun it, Jade. Neither can I.”