t let him

dn't pull

said, still kneel

rt pounding like it wanted to cla

rous h

le who made thinking

not t

id slowly. "

offended. "Because I w

u think you

don't think I'm owed anything. I think fate carved

f you ignore the part where we'

ght about

nd

ving you than live wit

th caught in

en know me,"

nt I stopped sleeping without

as the

he curse was surv

ooked

pped c

top," he said

le

me to

me to

coul

or permission," sh

re never given

nd what if I don't trust

trust you for

is. "You don't even flinch

se I m

reck

s re

You don't know what I

n't c

sho

at you sur

nging behind her eyes. "St

hy

might bel

believ

tz in and rewrite t

thing. I'm just readin

be

ano

d stop herself. "You think you want me. But y

me the one

ou think it's heat bet

feels like," he sa

N

e not in the same room. It doesn't make you wake

do you c

l it a

a bitter lau

ed to want you. You're cursed to kill me. So

like it was trying

I won't," s

w you

you're st

your hand than live

d at him,

line. It was

us kind of vow-honest,

r chest ache worse than

hate you,"

robabl

d want y

tell

can

ws," he said quietly. "

orked. "What

your c

t get c

do wi

f I sa

u were never meant

as if the air itself bu

end every night wondering why the

ilence stretc

it w

it c

spered, "Clo

bli

aphi

If you're going to ruin me, at least do

's massive stone doors, and dragged them s

tting on the altar. Still watching hi

in her was d

re ru

re hi

inevitable co

shaking and strong al

time in his life

them, thick with tension

She stood, movements slow, every inch of h

hoice," she murmure

wai

the world outsi

flicker

'll talk myse

-black phone from his coat and typed a message

will f

ouldn't

a brow. "

cking the phone away. "Do you

smile. "I've never own

say anythi

ered her

she didn'

took

-

ted windows of the obsidian SUV as they sped through Astoria's neon arteries. The furth

ry corner, every fla

iv

ncing sidewa

er resting casually on the console, fingers

ive you

aintly. "Don't li

rol f

keeps peo

at the skyline

dn't

idn't

-

. Draven Tower, she guessed. There was no name on the building, just

hem up past floors sh

biometric scan and a voice that

opened int

tants. N

one

city-and a corner drenched in shadows and books. At the center, a massive desk carved

ur office?"

t this is the only one no o

ches you're cursed to ki

e the

grazing the edge of his desk. "L

be I

back to him. "Villains

aw tw

doing that

ha

risin

ven seen the w

e you," she

at tension, taut and unsp

p forward. "A

n't k

he last tim

't rem

Then sit. I'll get s

better of it. The couch felt sinfully soft b

e and cold wood. Softn

t hum of a smart kitchen activated. It was surreal-this man

ok too?" s

answered. "D

-genuinely

of warm, delicate pasta laced with her

is t

oo

ised a

hirt sleeves pushed up, the watch on his wrist

t eating,"

't tru

ned before I b

You... scanned

e impo

ips p

ot losing you to an allergic re

e a cursed Alpha CEO kno

you to believe I don't half

went qu

the fir

arly m

oo

uttered around t

That mouth is going

lse sk

she didn'

-

finished, he took the plate without a word and returned minutes later with two

id, handing her the g

sitting close, bu

ate you," s

eady sai

still hav

w. "I'd rather die here than li

dn't a

t nee

arting to feel it

f

onel

she'd built

ask him to

did, she did

en them vanished l

ing compared to the searing heat of his nearness. Killian leaned in, eyes

rmured, voice velvet w

on't," she

reverent-like he was touching somethin

t move. D

r her lower lip. "You

't even

ow en

ps barel

th

A

ung open, f

oice rang out, brea

he syllable finished, fury snapp

ling-stood frozen at the threshold, eyes wide as

yes narrowed, wine glass s

't yell. Did

voice was enou

No one distur

but the Elders-Draven Council-they're demanding

licked to

ned. "What do th

lian snapped, voice colder than the

nish. "They're invoking the Writ of Accord

o wait," Kil

ut

id. W

d her, the click echoing in

red at him, b

he Writ o

ly, dragging a hand through his hair

low and shar

her space again, but this time his touch di

oment I touched you," he said. "I invoke

was a

t was an instinct. And i

silver eyes stormy. "Y

k," he said. "You

eel the heat of h

ything-they couldn

anym

d the slammed door was a

precision. Seraphina, across from him, hadn't sat back down. Her glass w

ss someone?" she asked, voice deceptively light,

over her like she was the prob

anyone close enough

d her hea

pressed a button on his desk. The offic

interru

fide

pera

the raw strain of someone standing on the edg

er this time. Controlled. And

y. His scent-warm, dark, like the woods at midnigh

at I felt," he said soft

m, silver eyes full

low, threading betwe

nt every lifetime looki

nished fro

y away from me,

un the second I

nch. "And yet.

s hand came up slowly, brushing h

the bond," he

't ask

Tension t

e to stop,"

di

a question-but before

m panel

d. Invasive.

lling to hers. "I will throw

rder than any spell. "Maybe we should change the locat

ose in hi

g you home

a brow. "To

ne dark and possessive. "Somewhere

-

crackled with everything unsaid. Every glance down the c

t into the cool night, Sera

y custom-like the man himself. As the driv

e muttered. "We

anished. Obe

anger. She sat beside him, tension curled

her. Didn't sp

the

t like

, swallowed by forest and fog

witch, sealed in a coco

o. Every mile they drove further from the city, the clearer i

ed the car. But his grip on the wheel was bone-whi

n them was alive. Breathin

e, voice a blade

happens if you

uckles

el in his throat. "

d've been

ed like

-

nothing like

r. A mansion nestled between shadowed woods and sheer cliffs-like

dn't

bro

rs, ushering her inside with nothing

teppe

he fe

secrets not yet spilled. The sense that no one, not even

he asked softly, t

dn't leave her. "

tween them

s clicked softly against marble. "I exp

bring w

stop

mov

low, deliberate silence. Until she could feel

u bring me?

ver her hip but di

" his voice dipped low, rough, in

m, silver eyes u

cheek, his breath feat

rse in t

lly-he ki

sn't

sn't

d of kiss that shattered oaths and burned down defenses. Th

ds were at her waist, pulling her flush against

hair. Her body met his in a

her jaw, just as her knees weak

ck shattere

e door

lp

sistan

ward him, a snarl breakin

the s

ut

r slamm

ehead to his chest, breat

dding about the

g to take it

go. If anything, the

e we?" she

, slow, feral. "Jus

other word as he led

wo of them and the low hum of some

that came from bloodlines or throne rooms-but from somethi

ions. Didn't need to. Ever

ook beside him told

ched his

red around them, thick velvet curtains draped like secrets, and in the center stood a

't the room

the s

Loaded.

osed the door behind them. The

. stil

y, heart hammeri

s your sanctuary," she

aze locked on her like he could see ev

d him. "And you broug

keep pretending I don't want to t

s. No mask.

t dry. "Then s

he space between

nd at her waist, the other sliding into her hair,

fe enough to play

I think you're dangero

intimate. "Then why

I want to

eper, like he was trying to po

for hunger. And somewhere in the pull of his mouth and the

it the floor

and he let her, chest rising fast

, Alpha," she whisp

uld," he

make

he

sk like she belonged there. Her legs wrapped around him instinctively. She arched into

neath her blouse, just as her

m rang.

ting buzz from

n didn

even

gh half-lidded eyes, panting.

comm with one s

le

nned. "

ng for this," he sa

seduce me?"

to unm

it was with all the restraint of

dn't s

rs brushed her cheek like

r the frantic rhythm of her pulse. His thumb pressed lightly there, as if he could feel how wil

red, voice rough. "Say the wor

dn't s

ns. The distance between them vanished-not in a crash, but in a slow, molten draw. His lips brushed hers once

he moaned against him, soft and broken, and he swallowed it like a vow. His mouth moved to her nec

" he growled, lifting h

cool leather of the lounge. Her legs wrapped around his waist with instinct that felt olde

lli

the name o

er the hard lines of his chest, the scars that marred perfection l

gentle," she whispered

skimmed the hem of her dress, sliding beneath,

romised. "Not until

e uncovered. She was shaking by the time he pulled the silk over her head. Na

y curve, every tremble. Their bodies aligned, heat pooling between th

she gasped

ng, mouth parting in a silent cry. He moved slowly at first, like worship, every motion control

g. He whispered things in her ear she wasn't meant to he

etween them, it wasn't jus

raveling, thread

ld didn

elt like

en between them, broken only by the sound of their breathing and

eared she might vanish. Seraphina didn't move-not because she couldn't, but because she didn't want to. Her body hum

ma

hing

un

er name like a confession,

his voice. But instead, she closed her eyes and let th

lways was,"

His hands roamed with less hunger, more reverence. She could feel

voice low against her skin. "When an Alpha claims.

afraid

s-coal and ice.

to his lips, silencing

sti

wly-very slo

their bond winding tighter. But in the shadows of that quiet, something b

's body

too?" Seraph

. "The prophecy does

e said, voice like steel under s

the quiet like a b

the beast in him

r and high heels peeked inside, visibly flustered. "Apologies, Alpha, but there

sheet falling away fro

d quickly away. "Yes. Something... som

radiating off him like heat. His phone lit up with a dozen ale

e said, the command i

ound her like a makeshift cloak, eyes burning

anym

, shirt half-buttoned, the raw force of dominance leaking from every inch of him like smoke from a cracked inferno. Seraphina gripped the ed

loors felt l

ered, more to himself than to her. "The estate is shielded by six layers of

him. "You think it's

didn't

e doors opened, the t

s, red sigils bleeding smoke from the walls. The assistant from earlier stood to the si

the hall that stole all a

ere-tall, cloa

Kill

hu

s shadow, but his aura was unmis

. Every hair on

t he had once stood in the dreams that hau

f her, protective and leth

his head slowly.

r kingdom's lie. I have waited twenty

d. It was a feeling-lik

searing into her chest li

osed to be alive

e said softly, "until

he va

ed. No

ish

ce that followed, one thing

n... was also bound to something f

as a

o her, his expre

it between them-w

wasn't ju

s a d

had just ste