#Chapter 77 – Forged Signature

Damon I woke with a sound I didn’t recognize as my own. A sharp gasp—no, a choke—ripped from my throat as I sat up violently, sheets twisted around my legs, breath coming in shallow, desperate pulls. My skin was slick with sweat, chest heaving like I’d run miles. The fire in the hearth had gone out. The room was dark. Cold. And I couldn’t breathe. Zane was howling inside me. Howling—long, guttural, and agonized. It hit me like a knife straight to the heart. My hands flew to my chest, fingers splaying over my sternum like I could claw out whatever was tearing me apart. A pulse of heat—wrong and bright—seared through my ribs, blooming beneath the skin. The mating bond. It wasn’t quiet anymore. It screamed. Something had snapped across it. Like a live wire struck water. Like lightning in my blood. I doubled over with a groan, pain flaring in my jaw, my back, my temples. Zane surged forward, not asking permission—he was demanding action. She’s in danger. She’s blee