Chapter 86 – Blood Bond

• Damon
• Dusk paints the sky in shades of purple and gold, the fading light casting eerie shadows across the clearing where I stand. My breath is short, muscles tight under the strain of exertion, as I watch Alina facing me, her steely gaze locked onto mine.
• She's drenched in sweat, hair plastered to her forehead, her breathing ragged. Still, she doesn't back down. Her fists are clenched, ready to strike again.