Chapter 104

Dante’s POV

Elora sat next to me, her eyes watching the enemy camp like she could burn holes through the tents just by staring. Her face was smeared with sand, her braids rough, and I could still pick out her scent.

She looked like she’d crawled out of a legend. Blood and fire and stubbornness. And tonight? I’d follow her straight into the pit.

“Two guards at the north gate,” she muttered, not even glancing at me. “Patrol swings by every five minutes. If we’re quick, we grab the wagons before anyone wakes up.”

She sounded so calm, like she was planning breakfast instead of a raid. Everyone listened as she spoke.

I gripped my blade tightly. The wounds have stopped hurting. “And if Mira’s scouts spot us?”

Elora’s mouth twitched, as she smirked. “Then they won’t spot much after.”

I almost laughed. Not quite, but close. She’d gotten harder since we first fought side-by-side... colder, maybe? Or just more sure. Still wild underneath it all, though.

“Move,” she breathed, and we walked into the dark.

As I walked, I looked back to see if she was catching up. I just wanted to see her. She was all that mattered. We moved like we’d rehearsed for years, her shadow following mine, no words needed. She slid through a gap in the wall and I was right behind, quietly.

We didn’t have to talk anymore. Our wolves did the talking, hell, the way my pulse matched hers, the way her eyes would catch mine for half a second before things got bloody... I dunno. Felt like magic.

I saw her drop a guy twice her size with one clean swipe. Blood sprayed across her cheek, and she didn’t even blink.

We got to the wagons, cut down every guard who looked at us wrong. The air started tasting like death and smoke. My wolf wanted to give up, as he clawed at me, but being next to her kept me brave.

“Elora... left!” I shouted.

She was already there, blocking a sword meant for my back. Metal clanged, sparks went flying, and she spun, sent the guy sprawling. Show-off.

She grinned, out of breath. “Try to keep up.”

I snorted. “You’re a menace.”

“And you never shut up.”

We tore through them. Half of them were asleep, the rest too busy panicking to try and fight. Before I knew it, the camp was ours.

Flames chewed at the wagons, smoke curling up. I watched her through the mess, sword shining in the dark as she breathed heavily. She looked back at me, light in her eyes, and for a second... just a second, there was nothing else... just her.

Just us.

And my heart was pounding like it wanted to break out of my chest.

I walked over, slow at first, then faster. Couldn’t help it. I was buzzing. Burned-out and alive all at once.

She turned to face me. We were both a mess, but her eyes were steady. She looked me up and down. “You hurt?”

“Nope,” I rasped. “You?”

Elora shook her head, a piece of hair falling loose. I reached up and tucked it back.

She let me.

We stopped pretending, just for a second. The pull between us was electric. Felt like gravity, but meaner.

“You did good,” she whispered, voice calm. “Wouldn’t have worked without you.”

“You could’ve pulled it off. You always do.” I said and shrugged.

She frowned, squinting her eyes. “Don’t... just... don’t say that.”

“Why not? It’s true.”

She started to answer, but her voice shook and she swallowed. “Because it’s not what I want to hear.”

Something about the way she said that, made my chest ache.

I couldn’t stay away anymore.

I stepped in close. She didn’t budge.

Closer... closer, until I could feel her breath, until the heat of her skin actually touched me... like, really touched me.

“What do you want to hear?” My voice came out quieter than I expected.

She sighed. “That I’m not the only one who feels this.”

God. My chest just snapped tight.

And then... I kissed her.

It wasn't gentle. This was wild, messy, months of pretending nothing was up just snapping all at once. Her hands moved up in my shirt, dragging me in like she was drowning and I was air. I got my fingers in her hair, holding her so close I could feel the heat between us, and the taste of desperation, and maybe a little bit of gunpowder too.

Everything else just... poof... gone.

I didn't think of the war, just her lips on mine, her heartbeat going nuts against my chest, her breath all shaky when I pulled back and then went right in again because, hell, how could I not?

When we finally broke apart, we were both gasping for breath.

She looked at me, eyes wide and staring like she was searching mine. “Dante…”

Yeah, I knew what she was thinking. That this was a disaster waiting to happen. Dominic... the war... and too many things.

I didn’t let her say it.

I pressed my forehead to hers and squeezed my eyes shut. “Right now, I don’t give a damn about any of that,” I said. “Just tell me I didn’t make this up.”

She went quiet, breath shaking. “You didn’t.”

So we stood there for a while, just the two of us, right in the middle of a wrecked enemy camp, under a sky bleeding dawn, our hearts thumping the same crazy rhythm.

Not sure. Out of breath. So freaking alive.

And honestly? We didn’t have to say it. We both knew it anyway:

The war was still raging.

But we’d already surrendered to each other.