Chapter 125: A Sacred Vow

The sun had long disappeared behind the jagged mountains, leaving the sky a deep indigo. Caitlin slowly stirred from her restless sleep, her body aching with hunger, yet the very thought of food made her stomach twist uncomfortably. She sat up, her movements sluggish, her muscles protesting from exhaustion. She wasn’t used to feeling so frail, so vulnerable. Pushing a hand through her thick, wine-red hair, she exhaled a shaky breath. Zendedari’s fingers, cool and firm, gently circled her arm, sliding down from her shoulder to her wrist in a tender caress. His touch was both comforting and unnerving. Caitlin had always been fiercely independent, accustomed to handling life’s trials on her own. But Zendedari had breached her walls with such ease, it frightened her at times. She had never allowed anyone to get so close, yet there he was—an enigmatic force of nature, someone she couldn’t quite understand but was deeply drawn to. His strength wasn’t just physical; it was something far more