Raymond stood still, yet his heart beat like a war drum in his chest. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, but it wasn't just anger that consumed him—it was fear, a kind of fear he hadn't felt in lifetimes.
Valentina, he couldn't afford to lose her, not this time.
Not after everything they had been through. Not after all the centuries, all the lives, all the waiting. This was her final reincarnation—he knew it deep in his soul. The cycle that had brought her back again and again had finally come to its end. There would be no more second chances. If anything happened to her now… she would be gone. Forever.
That terrifying truth was the very reason he had vowed to protect her at all costs.
