Damien's POV:
I stood at Leslie's bedside, watching her toss and turn, her face etched in agony. Each whimper tore at my heart, ripping it to shreds. My hands shook as I brushed a strand of hair from her burning forehead, feeling helpless, useless. I'd never been this powerless in my life—not as an Alpha, not as a man. I was supposed to protect her, to be the one who kept her safe from everything, including this cruel, invisible bond that was tearing her apart from the inside out.
Every breath she took seemed to be a battle, and every second she spent in pain felt like a thousand knives stabbing into my chest.
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to rage at the world for doing this to her. She didn't deserve this.
But I knew what had to be done.