LOGINA murmur spread through the crowd again, quieter now, more cautious.Lyra’s gaze flicked briefly toward them before returning to Damon, her expression smoothing out with visible effort. “Be careful,” she said softly. “You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment.”“My judgment is the only reason
Aria’s POVSilence didn’t just fall, it shattered the moment Damon’s words settled over the courtyard, the air turned heavy, thick with disbelief and tension that pressed against my chest until it felt hard to breathe. Every single pair of eyes locked onto me, not with curiosity anymore, but with s
Aria’s POVLyra’s gaze didn’t leave my face nor did Kade’s.And Damon… I didn’t need to look at him to feel the bond between us humming under my skin, stronger now, steadier in a way that made it impossible to ignore. The suppressants were gone, the barriers stripped away, and everything I had worke
Damon’s POVI knew she would hate me for it.The moment the word yes left my mouth, I felt it settle into my bones like a decision that would not be undone. There had been no hesitation in my voice, no visible crack in my control, but inside, something had shifted into place with a finality I could
Aria’s POVThe silence after that was not empty… it was alive.It pressed against my skin, thick and suffocating, like the entire chamber had been holding its breath and now didn’t know what to do with it. My heart was still hammering from the Queen’s declaration, from the way she had spoken so calm
Aria’s POVMorning came too fast, like the night had been impatient to abandon me.I woke before I even opened my eyes fully, aware of the warmth beside me, aware of the steady rhythm of breathing that didn’t belong to me. For a moment I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, remembering exactly ho
Aria’s POVFor several seconds, I just stared at Mira.Her words echoed in my head, bouncing around without making sense. My brain refused to connect them.“What?” I breathed, shaking my head slowly. “That… that doesn’t make any sense.”Mira frowned slightly, clearly confused by my reaction. “What d
Damon’s POVThe road leading back from the archives cut through the quieter edge of the village, a narrow stretch lined with cedar trees and old streetlamps that leaned over the sidewalk like silent sentinels. My hands rested on the steering wheel, knuckles pale against the dark leather, as the low
Aria’s POVI swallowed hard, my chest tight with a mix of fear and fury. Every instinct in me screamed to pull away, to flee, to get as far from him as possible. Yet here he was, looming over me, the warmth of his body pressing down like a trap I couldn’t escape.I squared my shoulders, feigning bra
I shoved him again, desperate this time, my back scraping along the wall, heart hammering so loudly I was sure he could hear it. But his grip didn’t loosen and his presence didn’t falter.“Never,” he said simply, almost softly, yet there was a lethal edge to it. “You’ll come back. You always do.”My







