Alesia's POV.
"Watching what?" I finally found my voice, thin and unsteady, like it didn't quite belong to me.
He chuckled, a low sound that vibrated through the space between us. His eyes roamed my face with unsettling focus, lingering too long on my mouth, my lashes wet with tears, the way my breath kept stuttering no matter how hard I tried to calm it.
"Even without the bond," he said softly, "there's just something about you that does this to me."
His hands came up suddenly, gripping my cheeks, forcing my face upward until I had no choice but to look at him.
"Something that makes me want to kill anyone who's ever laid eyes on you," he continued, voice darkening. "Especially your husband."
My breath caught painfully. His thumb brushed under my eye, wiping away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to turn away, but his grip only tightened.
