Mag-log inPenelope’s POVHe settled into the chair like a king settling into her own seat on stage and spreading out, legs apart, knuckles hooked under the arms of the chair as if the chair might splinter under his fingers. Only his eyes never left mine. I strode toward him slowly, my hips moving in a deliberate way.The air between us felt hot with intangible tension as if it would combust at any moment. When I reached him, I didn’t climb into his lap. Not yet.I leaned down and placed my hands on the arms of the chair, my lips close to his ear, my voice intentionally light and teasing. “Tell me something, Daemon…”His breath caught. “What?”I ran a fingertip from his jaw down the center of his throat, pausing above the pounding pulse in his neck.“How many women have begged to have you like this?” I whispered. “On their knees. Whispering your name like a prayer?”His eyes darkened.“Too many,” he said.“And how many,” I continued, brushing my lips against his cheek, “have ever made you sit
Daemon’s POVSilence.Then that voice, smooth and dark like silk soaked in venom.“Gentle?” he purred. “She wants the storm, Daemon. She wants to be broken open. Filled. Claimed.”I couldn’t help it. I let out a groan, thick with need. Pictures currently clouded my mind, so real I felt. I could see Penelope arching beneath me, eyes glazed with lust, her mouth parted as she whispered my name. Her thighs trembling around me. Her claws raking into my back, nails digging deeper into my skin. Desperate for more.I swallowed. I almost buckled to my knees.“Stop,” I said, barely audible. I held onto the table as if it would hold me in place. “Stop doing this to me.”“She’s wet for us right now,” Zephyr hissed inside me. “She’s thinking of us. Her body’s calling to us and she doesn’t even know she’s mine yet.”I stared into the mirror. My reflection wasn’t my own anymore.Flushed. Wild. Possessed.My eyes glowed, his glow.I looked insane.I was insane.And still, I smirked. A haunted, broken
Daemon’s POVI held her tight. Tighter than I should’ve, like if I let go she might disappear again. Callister buried her face into my chest, her shoulders trembling with the kind of fear she didn’t want me to see.“I’m here now,” I murmured. “I’ve got you, baby girl.”She pulled back, just enough to look up at me. Her eyes were red but steady.“I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” she whispered.“What happened?” I asked gently, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “How the hell did this even start?”She bit her lip, glancing away like she was ashamed. “It was just supposed to be a party. Julian said it was harmless, just nobles and wine. Nothing serious.”I was tense. “That’s never just a party in this place, Callister. You should know that.”“I know,” she said softly. “But I got into it with Elira. She said something about Mom. Something disgusting. I hit her. She hit back. And I..” her voice cracked. “I shifted. In front of everyone.”My jaw clenched.Of course she fought back.
Daemon’s POVThe door clicked shut behind me as I entered the chamber assigned to me.Dim, quiet, and colder than expected but that didn’t matter. I wasn’t here to rest.I scanned the room with sharp eyes, noting every detail: the narrow window to the north, the tapestry along the far wall, the heavy oak chest in the corner. No hidden threats. Not yet.I took off the soaked shirt clinging to my skin and dropped it to the floor. Blood-streaked and torn, it was useless now. My shoulder still ached from the river swim, but I’d had worse. Much worse.Crossing to the bathroom, I shut the door behind me and turned on the vintage shower faucet, letting cold water slap against my chest. I needed to clear my head. Fast. Duncan could be back any hour now, and I had too many moves to make before he returned.Penelope was locked away safely for now. But this mission was bigger than her. Bigger than vengeance. It was about Callister. And I didn’t have time to…A sound.A shift of breath. The faint
Penelope’s POVDaemon’s eyes dropped for a fraction of a second.But then he looked away, jaw locking and his throat shifting as he swallowed.He wasn’t unaffected. He just wouldn’t let himself be.“Freshen up,” he said tightly. “Someone will be sent to tend to your needs.”He turned to leave, hand already on the door handle.“And Penelope…” His voice dropped, almost gravel now. “Don’t come out. Not unless I tell you to.”The door slammed shut behind him.And I was left alone, half-naked, steaming from my own skin, and breathless with the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.The warmth of the fire crackled faintly, but it did nothing to stop the cold that still danced over my skin.I was still half-naked. Still wet. Still shivering.I wrapped my arms around myself and stood, bare feet pressing against the wooden floor as I made my way slowly toward the door. My body was stiff, sore, and exhausted, but curiosity buzzed louder than my aches.I heard them, muffled voices just beyon
Penelope’s POV"Three."Daemon’s voice cut through the chaos like a blade.And then they jumped.Lucas. The guards. Even Daemon.One by one, bodies hit the water with loud splashes, swallowed by the dark river.But me?I froze.My whole body locked up. My fingers gripped the edge of the boat like it was the only thing keeping me alive. The arrows were still coming, raining from the sky like fire sent from angry gods.And still… I couldn’t move.“Penelope!” Daemon’s voice ripped through the air, sharp and commanding.I looked upAnd that’s when I saw it.An arrow. On fire. Coming straight for my face.My breath caught. My legs moved.I jumped and the boat tipped over.The cold hit me like a punch. The river wasn’t just water, it was ice. A living, breathing glacier that swallowed me whole. I gasped the second I went under, the cold stealing the air from my lungs.But I knew how to swim. That was what saved me.So I kicked hard, pushing through the water. I surfaced, spitting out a mout







