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Or it might not work with Raphael.

I don’t know.

All I know is that I don’t like any of this at all.

I’d rather go back to him rejecting me. That I can deal with. That I’m familiar with.

“Let me inside and you will know I speak the truth,” he insists.

The pressure in my chest grows even stronger as he stares into my eyes like he’s trying to force his soul into my soul.

When my ribs feel like they’re about to explode, I bite the inside of my cheek and an invisible wall slams down.

Blocking out the pain.

“What did you do?” Raphael demands instantly, using his grip on my hair to pull me even closer.

His flickering gaze desperately searches my eyes for something.

But there’s nothing for him to find.

At this moment, I’m completely numb and empty.

“You’re completely blocking me now,” Raphael says in disbelief. “How are you blocking me?”

With all the fear trapped behind the wall, I see no reason not to answer him honestly. “I don’t know.”

And I truly don’t.

I don’t know where this wall came from, but I’m grateful for it.

In the past, when Jeffrey would beat me, sometimes I’d be able to block out some of the pain.

But it required a lot of cheek and tongue biting.

I’ve never been able to block out all the pain before. If I knew I could do it, I would have used it often and liberally.

Raphael narrows his eyes and I watch, totally disconnected, as his features tighten with tension like he’s concentrating hard on a mental problem.

“Undo it, Alena,” he grits out between clenched fangs and teeth. “Let me back in.”

“Back in where?” I ask, not understanding the request.

His face falls and he rasps as if he’s in misery, “You’ve severed our soul bond. Our connection…”

Still not comprehending what he’s saying, I ask, “What soul bond? What connection?”

“The one that binds our souls eternally together,” he says, his flickering gaze filling with horror.

I purse my lips to the side in thought, unemotionally trying to put together the pieces. “Was that the pressure I felt behind my ribs?”

He hesitates for a moment, looking uncertain, before he answers hoarsely, “Yes.”

“Oh… well… yes. I suppose I have blocked it off then,” I admit.

Though, I still have no idea how I did it.

His fingers tighten in my hair, but I only feel awareness of it. No other sensation. “Why?”