Ste froze, every hair on her body standing on end.


    A primal instinct warned her of imminent danger-an overwhelming sense she''d only ever felt at the edge of life and death.


    She stopped in her tracks, rooted to the spot as if nailed to the floor.


    Joshua''s eyes flickered when he finally recognized her.


    "It''s you," he murmured.


    Snapping out of her daze, Ste stepped closer to his side. "Joshua, you should eat something."


    Joshua rubbed his brow unconsciously. "My head is killing me. I''ll pass for now."


    "You really shouldn''t," Ste insisted gently. "If you don''t eat, your headache will only get worse. It''s not good for your recovery. Please, try a little?"


    His pupils trembled, and for a moment, it was as if he was trapped in a world washed in blood. Everything around him blurred into nothingness—except for the worried light in Ste''s eyes, shining through with vivid rity.


    Joshua wed his way back to rationality, just barely.


    He lowered his gaze. "...Fine."


    Ste helped him sit up.


    His hand was ice-cold, almost like marble. He clenched his fists so tightly the veins on the backs of his hands stood out in stark relief, his breath heavy, as if he was fighting an inner war just to keep himself in check.


    Ste sensed something was wrong. She nced at him, only to meet his gaze— his eyes were rimmed in red, a murderous glint shing across them before vanishing.


    His voice was harsh, raw. "...Star, you need to leave. Now."


    His Adam''s apple bobbed as he struggled to hold himself together, his features twisting with the effort. Just keeping control was draining every ounce of his strength. Thest thread of his sanity felt stretched to the breaking point-one wrong move, and it would snap, unleashing chaos.


    He''d lose himselfpletely. Anyone nearby would be in danger.


    Ste''s face paled. "Joshua"


    Before she could finish, his hand shot out and mped around her throat.


    His fingers were cold as ice, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.


    Joshua red at her, eyes bloodshot, seething with violence. "Didn''t I tell you to leave? Why are you still here?"


    Ste frowned. "Joshua, snap out of it."


    He squeezed harder. "So, you really do have a death wish."<fn77be> This update is avable on find?novel</fn77be>


    She looked at him, searching his clouded gaze for any sign of the man she knew. "Joshua, it''s me-Ste. Please, calm down."


    Her name seemed to reach him. His eyes wavered, confused.


    But in the next instant, the bedsidemp crashed down on his head.


    Bang!


    Silence.


    Ste stared, stunned, at Joshua sprawled on the floor, blood trickling from his scalp. Panic tightened her chest.


    Oh God. Did I just... kill him?


    She''d put some force behind the swing, but she hadn''t meant to go that far. What


    if she''d misjudged it and actually killed Joshua?


    Hands trembling, Ste leaned in to check for a pulse.


    ...He''s still breathing.


    Relief flooded her. She clumsily hauled him back onto the bed, then pulled out the gauze and antiseptic she''d picked up from the pharmacy to clean his wound.  s


    She nced at the rope and


    hang bag. After a moment''s


    handcuffs buried in the bottomoret


    the


    hesitation, she decided against training him


    s


    A man like Joshua-she couldn''t bring herself to humiliate him like that.


    If he lost control again, well, she''d just have to knock him out a second time.


    Ste looked down at her own hand. With one round of experience under her belt, she figured she''d have a better sense of how hard to swing next time  s


    ***


    The next morning, Joshua woke to a blinding headache.