LOGINMINA It was already the next day. I woke up feeling strangely exhausted and invigorated all at once. My limbs felt heavy, but my thoughts were soft around the edges, and every time I caught Elias looking at me across the breakfast table, heat crept up my neck and into my cheeks.I kept my eyes stubbornly on my plate.He didn’t even try to hide it. Every time I moved, every time I reached for my cup, I could feel his gaze on me. The memory of last night lingered in my body in ways that made sitting still an active challenge. I cleared my throat and focused harder on buttering my bread.The front door opened.Aiden walked in, appearing even more tired than yesterday. He stopped mid-step when he saw the two of us together at the table. His nose twitched before he inhaled deeply and shook his head. “Bastard,” he muttered, the word clearly directed at Elias. “You filled my house with your scent.” Elias didn’t even bother pretending innocent. He leaned back in his chair, smug as ever, l
MINAWe lay on the bed, side by side. He was playing with my hair, slowly winding a strand around his finger and then letting it slip free again. We were in the spare room, not Aiden’s bedroom. Whatever beef he had with Aiden didn’t have anything to do with me, and I refused to cross that line even when he asked me earnestly. “I’m sorry,” I said again, the words slipping out before I could stop them.He clicked his tongue softly. “I told you not to apologize,” he said. “Not once in our entire life should you apologize again to me.”I turned my head slightly so I could look at him. His expression was calm, but there was a firmness there too.“What if I’m wrong?” I asked quietly. “What if I say something wrong? Do I not apologize then, too?” “You still don’t have to,” he replied without hesitation.“That doesn’t make sense,” I murmured.He smiled then. “It makes perfect sense to me. Even if you’re wrong, I’ll be the one to apologize.”I stared at him for a long moment, then shook my h
MINA I pulled him back as he continued shaking in my arms, my hands firm on his cheeks, and only then did I really see him.“Is it true?” I asked quietly. “Did he really not tell you?”He didn’t answer and instead leaned in. His lips met mine, soft at first. There was no hunger in it yet, only longing. His lips lingered there for a while, reminding me of what I had been missing for the past weeks. I, too, could feel how much he’d missed me in that single touch.My hands held onto his shirt without thinking. His breath brushed my cheek, his forehead resting against mine for a second. Then he kissed me again—longer and deeper than before. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.That was when the restraint snapped.His mouth opened against mine, and I gasped softly as the kiss turned desperate and messy. Weeks of fear and distance poured into that single moment. His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer, and I stumbled back as he followed—until my hip knocked into
MINA My body was already feeling much better. Aiden had taken care of me well. Or rather, his maid had. He himself was rarely around, always coming and going like a shadow. However, I didn’t mind it at all. There was a clear boundary between us. He never asked questions beyond what was necessary, and he never looked at me in a way that made me feel like I owed him anything. I appreciated that more than I could explain.After breakfast, I stood by the wide window in the living room, one hand resting absentmindedly on the glass. The house was isolated, perched on the edge of land that looked untouched by civilization. Tall trees surrounded it, their shadows stretching long across the grass. The silence here felt protective. Carol, his maid, had told me it was Aiden’s new house, saying that his last one got invaded by too many fangirls. I had laughed when she told me the story. Carol was warm and motherly, the kind of woman who hummed while she worked and scolded me gently when I
ELIAS Where is she?Why can’t we fucking find her?The words kept looping in my head like a curse I couldn’t break. I paced the living room for what felt like the hundredth time, my footsteps heavy against the floor. Every report from my men only tightened the knot in my chest. It was like Mina had dissolved into thin air.My mother was standing near the window with her arms crossed. My father sat quietly on the couch, watching me with a knowing look. Before I could say a word, my mom marched up to me and slapped the back of my head.“Ow—what the hell?” I exclaimed, more startled than hurt.“This,” she snapped, pointing a finger at my chest, “is because you refused to see her. This is what happens when you think distance equals love.”I groaned and dragged a hand down my face. “Mom—”“My daughter-in-law has run away,” she continued, voice rising. “Do you have any idea how that makes you look? I will disown you if you don’t fix this.”I let out a long breath, forcing myself not to sna
MINA I really escaped.I stumbled forward, hands trembling, and only then did it sink in.My power worked.A shaky laugh slipped out of me. The silence of my power still clung to me, but I felt I could control it better now. Every sound around me was muted when I wanted it to be. The animals sensed me, I knew that much. I felt their awareness brushing against mine, but they didn’t react the way they should have. Their movements slowed when I passed. However, they couldn’t quite decide if I was there or not.I was a gap.A pocket where danger lost its edge.I moved carefully. I had always been good at spotting animals and reading the land. That part of me had survived everything. And now, with my power wrapping around me like a cloak, I was able to move through Montrose without becoming prey.However, strength came at a cost.Each step made my vision blur a little more. I had to stop more than once, pressing a hand to my abdomen and breathing through the nausea. It’s okay, I whisper







