Chapter: Chapter Sixty-Five- MateoThe garden was quiet, the late afternoon sunlight warming the stone path beneath his boots. Mateo leaned against the fountain’s edge, his fingers trailing in the cool water, watching the ripples spread and vanish. For the first time in days, the world didn’t feel like it was waiting to tear itself apart.He closed his eyes briefly, letting the sun hit his face. Amelia had risen with the morning, calm and steady, and seeing her like that — alive, whole, present — had done something to him. Something soft, quiet, but insistent.Mateo’s thoughts wandered to the past few weeks. The nights of fear, the fights, the moments when he thought he might lose her forever. He’d felt the weight of it all on his chest, the constant tension of needing to protect, to anticipate, to be ready. And now, standing here in the golden light, he realized he didn’t feel that heaviness as sharply. Not because the world had changed, but because she had.Amelia had changed. She had survived
Last Updated: 2025-11-06
Chapter: Chapter Sixty-Four- AmeliaMorning found her slowly, gently — sunlight creeping through the sheer curtains, warming her cheek before her eyes even opened. For the first time in days, her chest didn’t ache with exhaustion or fear. There was a stillness inside her, not the heavy kind that came from pain, but the kind that felt… earned.Amelia blinked into the soft light, taking in the familiar outlines of the room — the carved headboard, the vase of white lilies by the window, the faint scent of coffee drifting through the hall. She exhaled slowly. Her body still felt tender, every movement careful, but there was a hum beneath her skin now — not power spiraling out of control, but energy that listened, that obeyed.Last night replayed in fragments: Dimitri standing in the moonlight, the silver glint in his eyes when he finally let the walls fall, the sound of his laugh — quiet and raw. She could still feel the press of his forehead against hers, the warmth of his hand over hers.Her lips c
Last Updated: 2025-11-05
Chapter: Chapter Sixty-Three- DimitriThe moon hung low over the trees, spilling silver light across the courtyard. The air was cool and still, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and lavender. Inside the mansion, the world had gone quiet — soft voices fading, footsteps gone still.Dimitri stood alone at the edge of the garden, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. The night had always been his domain — silent, steady, unyielding. Yet lately, it no longer felt like armor. It felt like reflection.He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the quiet. The memory of Amelia collapsing replayed behind his eyelids: the sudden silence, the panic that had cracked through him like lightning. He’d been through wars, blood feuds, centuries of loss — but nothing had frightened him like seeing her go still.He’d told himself he was her protector. That was easier than admitting what she truly was to him.The door creaked faintly behind him, and soft footsteps crossed the stone path. He didn’t need to
Last Updated: 2025-11-04
Chapter: Chapter Sixty-Two- MateoThe scent of coffee still lingered in the air, mingling with sunlight and the faint sweetness of syrup. The kitchen felt warmer than usual, though maybe that was just the sound of laughter drifting from the hall.Mateo stood by the sink, rolling his sleeves up as he rinsed the last of the plates. Dimitri had made the first breakfast, but somehow Jason had talked Amelia into a second one. It had turned into a whole event—complete with burnt toast, uneven pancakes, and Jason pretending he knew what he was doing with a skillet.Now the aftermath lay before him: dishes, crumbs, and a faint trail of flour that led all the way to the doorway. He shook his head with a small smile.“They’re going to make me regret cooking for them,” he muttered, half to himself.Behind him, footsteps padded across the tiles. “You say that like you don’t love it,” Jason said, voice teasing as he leaned against the counter.Mateo glanced over his shoulder. Jason’s shirt was half
Last Updated: 2025-11-03
Chapter: Chapter Sixty-One- JasonThe garden was quieter than he remembered.The fountain still whispered in the center courtyard, but the air itself seemed gentler now—less charged with fear or adrenaline, more… alive. The scent of rain-wet earth lingered from last night’s storm, mingling with the faint sweetness of lavender. Jason stood a few steps behind Amelia, watching her trace her fingers across the petals of a rose that had somehow survived the chaos of the past few weeks.She was barefoot, the hem of her long shirt brushing the tops of her thighs, sunlight catching in her hair. Every few seconds, she turned her face toward the light, as though she were trying to remember how warmth felt.He shouldn’t have been staring. He knew that. But after everything—the fights, the blood, the sleepless nights—just seeing her like this felt like a kind of miracle.Amelia glanced over her shoulder and caught him watching. “You know,” she said, her lips curving in the faintest smile, “most people would think standing silentl
Last Updated: 2025-11-03
Chapter: Chapter Sixty- Amelia The scent of something warm and sweet drifted through the halls, waking me before sunlight could. My stomach growled before my eyes even opened, and for the first time in days, I felt something close to normal — hungry, rested, and safe. I slid out of bed slowly, wincing at the faint ache in my limbs. My body still remembered the chaos, the pain, the fear — but my heart felt lighter. Through the bond, I sensed them — Jason’s steady pulse, Mateo’s relaxed warmth, and Dimitri’s quiet concentration, sharp and focused. I followed the smell to the kitchen. When I stepped into the doorway, I stopped, blinking in surprise. Dimitri stood at the stove, sleeves rolled up, a pan in one hand, and an expression of intense focus on his face. Mateo lounged against the counter, grinning, while Jason sat at the table, looking half amused and half impressed. “I didn’t know you could cook,” I said softly. Dimitri turned, his dark eyes s
Last Updated: 2025-10-26
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