If I wanted respect, I had to fight, not run."
"How long was he watching?" I asked.
Caleb moved to the window. Checked outside. "Long enough. I saw him walking away when I came up. He looked pleased."
Of course he did. He'd just witnessed exactly what he needed. Me collapsing. Darius hovering protectively. Proof that the bond wasn't strength—it was a liability.
Through the bond, I felt Darius's rage. His wolf demanding he hunt Gideon down. End this before it spread further.
"Don't," I said. Out loud and through our connection. "That's what he wants. You losing control. Proving Katheris right."
"He violated your privacy. Spied on you in your own dorm."
"And we'll deal with it. But not by giving him exactly the reaction he's hoping for."
Darius's jaw clenched. Every muscle in his body screaming to act. To protect. To destroy the threat.
But he forced himself to stay still. To listen.
