Chapter 8 She will be my lover

Ariel's POV Leona disappeared into the forest without hesitation, her silhouette swallowed by the darkening trees as if the woods had been waiting for her. The moment she was gone, dread settled in my chest like a physical weight. Atwood lunged forward instinctively. “Leona!” he shouted, already crossing the line where the sand gave way to roots and shadow. I caught his arm hard and yanked him back. “Stop.” My grip tightened. “Don’t be stupid.” He spun on me, eyes blazing. “She’s alone. Let go of me.” “No.” My voice came out lower than I intended, rough with restraint. “You don’t just charge in after her.” “She ran because of us,” he snapped. “Because of you.” That hit closer than he knew. “She ran,” I said evenly, “because you don’t know when to keep your distance.” Atwood froze. For a second, the only sound was the ocean behind us, waves crashing with relentless indifference. “What did you say?” he asked quietly. I didn’t look away. “You heard me.” His jaw clenched. “You think this i