The wind lashed against my skin as we sped down the deserted road in his Jeep. The sky above was cloaked in an ominous dark veil, mirroring the chaos churning inside my mind. Emotions clawed their way out of me in silent, violent waves, and though I tried to bury them, I knew he felt every single one. Hot glances slid my way, full of questions he didn’t ask out loud—until a cool hand slid over mine, anchoring me. I looked down at our intertwined fingers, then up at his face. He was watching me, his gaze intense yet heartbreakingly calm. Somehow, the world dulled when I looked at him. His sharp cheekbones, that perfectly sculpted jawline, and those haunted eyes—all of it stole the breath from my lungs.I could stare at this man for hours and still not have enough. That’s how far gone I was. Maybe that mate bond he spoke of wasn’t a myth after all. Because what I felt? It was too real. Too consuming.But even the strongest bonds couldn’t erase the pain of today. My mind kept slipping
Aurelia’s POV“How much did you hear?” His voice cracked through the silence like a whip, sharp and sudden, slicing through the tension that clung to the air after Kiwor’s departure.“Just enough,” I whispered.His jaw flexed. “Ignore him. Kiwor’s just bitter his cock hasn’t been sucked in days.” A bitter chuckle followed, dry and empty like the wind that blows through graves.“Abaddon, please…” My voice broke, and I hated it. My tears, traitorous and hot, betrayed me again.“I’m sorry,” he said, softer now. His hand found my face, cold fingers brushing away my tears like they were something sacred. “If I’d gone inside when Huron first mentioned it, maybe all of this—maybe none of this would’ve happened.”His touch burned and froze me all at once. I trembled beneath it.“It’s in the past now, Elia,” he murmured, as if that could erase the images seared behind my eyelids. “Don’t carry guilt that isn’t yours.”“But what if you hadn’t made it on time?” I swallowed hard, voice catching.
Abaddon’s POVFor a vast moment, I’m stunned. When it hit me—the struggle, the worry, the wrenching pain in my gut—I didn’t know what to do with it. This was new. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever felt before, because I felt it *all.* Her fear. Her pain. And it slammed into me, sudden and brutal.She was in trouble.My cold blood... it nearly boiled. I could feel it heat, tremble beneath my skin as her scent pulled me forward—dragged me like a tether into the woods behind the house.And then I saw it.My mate—*my mate*—being chased. A bear. A furious, wild-looking thing with eyes that burned with rage.Fear gripped me, sharp and punishing, when I caught the scent of her blood. It was heavy. Thick. Overwhelming. It clogged the air, soaked into everything around me. I could *feel* it. And I knew—every vampire even remotely near would’ve sensed it too.Gods, it was so enticing.Huron... he hadn’t learned control yet. Poor kid. I couldn’t blame him. I could barely manage it myself, and I’d
Aurelia’s POVThe cold bit into my skin as I stood frozen, snow crunching beneath my bare feet. The air tasted sharp, almost metallic, as my gaze clung to Huron’s back. His form was tense, shoulders stiff, fangs bared, facing down the massive wall of white fur just a few feet ahead. A polar bear—no, something more. Its breath steamed in thick, huffing clouds, dark eyes locked on the boy in front of me.“Huron,” I whispered, but the name burned my throat.The beast lunged.He moved fast, too fast for my human eyes to fully comprehend. One moment he was standing still, the next, he launched himself at the bear, his claws slicing at its face. Blood splattered across the snow, steaming as it landed. The bear roared, swiping at Huron with such force he flew backward into a snowbank with a grunt that made my stomach churn.“No! Huron!” My scream echoed through the woods, strangled and wild.He staggered to his feet, already rushing back in. He wasn’t strong enough—I saw it. The bear rear
Aurelia’s POVThis might be the first time I’d ever realized that having your feelings truly reciprocated can feel like the closest thing to heaven in a world like this. It’s wild—funny, even—to think that from the very first time I saw him make that entrance into the cafeteria, I already liked him. The pull was magnetic, violent. The strings yanked hard, dragging my soul toward him while I stayed behind, watching from the shadows. I desired him in silence, craved him in secret, until that night he finally approached me. His blackmail had come from a place of pent-up fury, directed straight at my family. It was cruel. Dark. Twisted. And yet, I still found myself staying up late, waiting for the next chapter in his cruelty. And maybe it’s sick—maybe it’s *wrong*—but deep down I *enjoyed* most of the torture he put me through. I never admitted it before, but now it’s starting to make sense. This bond he speaks of… it must be the reason I’ve always wanted him so desperately. It’
Like an obsessed man, I tore her clothes—ripping every thread, every fabric into shreds beneath my greedy hands. Her gasp didn’t stop me—it fueled me. My lips latched onto a taut nipple, sucking hard, flicking my tongue over her sensitive bud until her body trembled. For ten long days. Ten brutal, hungry days without her warmth. I’d starved for her—craved her like a man on the verge of death. But I’d given her space. I had to. There was no question. Still, it tore me apart. I missed her so much it burned. Stars, I missed her wet, silken warmth. Missed the soft moans only I could draw out of her. Just like now. As my mouth worked her tender breast, she whimpered and arched, made just for me. There was no denying it. She belonged to me. My sanity cracked two days ago when I caught the scent of her arousal. The sounds from the bathroom... I knew she was showering, but my feet moved on their own. The door—unlocked. And fuck, I peeked. She was sprawled in the tub, eyes close