Chapter 108

Octavia I walked faster than my legs could carry me, my heart pounding as if trying to escape my chest. I couldn’t believe he had been watching me all along, those piercing eyes following my every move without me realizing. Every time I saw him, my chest tightened, beating faster and faster, beyond my control. At first, I kept telling myself I didn’t want this. That I wanted the rejection, that I wanted him to let me go. But deep down, I knew I was lying to myself. I knew it was the mating bond at play, pulling me closer to him no matter how hard I tried to fight it. And the more I tried to shake it off, the stronger it seemed to grow. He’s given me freedom, real freedom. I can move around the estate without guards now, without anyone trailing behind me. But even with that, I still feel strange, like I’m living someone else’s life. Everything has changed so suddenly that I hardly know where to fit in anymore. As I walked, I spotted Rosa heading in my direction. She hadn’t seen me y