DIANA'S POVAdrenaline races through me at Kael's words. He looks more than serious about this.We are one now. I've accepted his bond. Vivian said there’s no such thing as marriages here. All it takes is to be marked, and for both parties to accept the bond.There’s nothing we should hide from each other. I want to see what lies beneath his clothes, if there are more tattoos resting there. I want to kiss each and every one of his scars until he forgets what caused them.I slowly grab the end of my gown and pull it off my body. I slip out of my undergarments. The cold hits me instantly, but the heat radiating in Kael’s eyes is enough to warm me.His gaze trails over my naked body, from my breasts to my toes. The dim light is just enough for him to see me clearly.His thumb brushes against my hips, where my tattoo is and Goddess, my thighs clench.“You are a dove: white, pure, and free, love. I cannot describe how beautiful you are.” He looks into my eyes, frowning deeply. “He saw all
DIANA'S POV I stare at Kael as he sleeps. His legs are wrapped around mine, and his strong arms have refused to leave my waist. He looks like a dove while he sleeps, even though he’s so tense. I resist the urge to push away the hair blocking his face. The birthmark on his lips just adds a layer of beauty to him. I know I’m letting myself in too deep, but everything about him, from his body to his soul and his scent, intoxicates me. I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping, but I guess it’s probably night. I have to put Xiana to bed. I grab his hand and try to pull it away, but instead, his grip tightens. I try again, but he still isn’t willing to let go. He groans, adjusts his position on the bed, and pulls me on top of him. “Kael,” a gasp escapes my lips. His eyes slowly open. He looks at me, confused, then pushes his hair backward with one hand as he groans. “I need to go to Xiana,” I say, blushing at the sight of him. “She won’t sleep unless I read her to sleep. I’ll come b
DIANA'S POV‘You are treading the wrong path, Diana,’ the Darkness whispers to me as I suck it in.‘You are not supposed to be with him. It's an abomination to the gods and goddesses.’My eyes are closed, but I can see it—dark dust swirling, taking a form. We are no longer in the room, but in a desert, with the sun scorching my skin.I watch as it materializes until it fully becomes the same female from my dream—Karolyn.This isn't real, Diana."You have no idea what you're doing to yourself," she says, smiling. "How dare you take what is mine?!""He doesn't belong to you," I say, clenching my fist. The memory of the dream with her on Kael spirals through my mind. It plagues every one of my senses.Doubt.What if he—no, he isn't like that."What did he tell you, Diana?" She walks toward me, and the wind suddenly begins to howl fiercely. "That he never loved me? Huh?" She laughs. "I could show you, you know—the parts of our lives we lived together, even after he met you. I was everythi
KAEL'S POVI douse my hair with water, only to flinch as the cold slices through me like ice.Shaking off the water, I lean against the bench as my eyes drift to Diana, who's throwing punches at Daemon, who blocks them.He's laughing while she's glaring at him. She throws her left fist just above his shoulder. That’s intentional. Daemon scoops away, making her stumble forward, and just when he’s about to laugh victoriously, she spins around and throws a punch at his face.Vivian laughs beside me. “I'm glad she punched the frivolousness off him.”“For a while,” I say, and just as he's gripping his broken face, he starts running his mouth again, making her laugh.I don't understand how anyone can stand Daemon. His sunshine always unsettles me.I stare at Diana as she continues throwing punches at him. The band holding her hair begins to slip. I feel the urge to help her, but I don’t—not until the band is almost falling from her hair.As I approach her, her eyes dart to me. Her smile fad
DIANA’S POV “Calm down, it's okay, baby.” I run my hand over Xiana's hair as she trembles in my arms. She'd just woken up from a nightmare. “He… he was in my dream,” Xiana stutters into my chest. “Who was in your dream?” “Delta Kymon… I saw him.” She pulls away and looks at me, her fearful eyes hardening. “He broke into Tessa and her mummy’s house… he was holding a long gun. His footsteps were very loud as he looked for them, wanting to kill them.” “It’s just a nightmare, my baby,” I whisper, grazing her cheek. She shakes her head and wipes the single tear sliding down her cheek. “He saw Tessa's mummy hiding behind the chair. He held the gun to her swollen stomach and killed her… Tessa started to cry under the table. He heard her and was going to kill her too.” Xiana clenches her fist. “Then a man appeared. He looked like Daddy, but he was older. He… he said his name was Alpha… Alpha Zander. He gave me a gun and told me to shoot Delta Kymon… I did. Before he could kill Tessa.”
DIANA'S POVI wrap my hands around Kael's shoulder, moving even closer to him. He isn't as gentle as the first and second time, but I don't care.He's rough, but it's not hurting me. I can tell he's trying to do his best, so I help him. I kiss him back with just as much effort. The moment I taste his lips, I feel addicted.Desire springs through me. I try to gain full access to his lips, but he won't let me. I tighten my grip on his hair, angry.He growls and presses my jaw so tightly that a gasp erupts from my open mouth. He slips his tongue into my mouth.My vision becomes a cloud.'Stop! Something screams at me.' I feel the wind around us begin to rise, and the sound of the leaves grows louder.Suddenly, Kael laughs, unsettling me. “Don’t stop, baby. Don’t let the Darkness distract you.”Kael mumbles against my lips.I have no time to react when Kael's tongue destroys all my senses. He pushes us against a tree and completely loses his mind. His tongue roams every corner of my mouth