The Unbroken Bond

Her lips parted slightly. No sound slipped past them. Yet through the shared bond—faint, distant, bone-weary—he felt her presence stir. A fragile flicker. A rising warmth. A breathless echo.

"Magnus…"

Every muscle in his frame locked instantly. Then a crushing tidal wave of pure relief slammed into his chest.

"I’m here," he muttered fast, shoving his chair closer. "I’m right here, my love."

He