LOGINAria’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
Damon’s POVI should have stood my ground, slept on the floor instead. My chest tightened the moment she scooted closer, that familiar heat crawling up my spine like fire on dry wood. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her eyes flicking away the instant mine landed on hers. The kind of look th
Or maybe she did.Maybe she just didn’t realize how bad it was.“You really want me to answer that?” I asked, my voice dropping.“Yes.”No hesitation, no fear. Just that same stubborn insistence that made everything ten times harder.I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through my hair again as I force
Aria’s POVI didn’t stop running.I didn’t even know where I was going anymore.Branches scraped against my arms as I pushed through the trees, my breath coming out in short, uneven bursts, my chest aching with every step. The path had disappeared a long time ago, replaced by uneven ground and shado
Aria’s POVIt started small, so small that at first, I convinced myself I was imagining it.Damon had always come into the archives occasionally, but now it was different. It wasn’t just work anymore. He lingered. He found reasons to stay longer than necessary, standing too close, watching too close
Damon’s POVAria’s scream didn’t leave my head even after her body went limp, even after the sound cut off abruptly, like something inside her had simply given out.One second she was gripping the sheets, fighting through the pain, and the next… nothing.Her head rolled to the side, her body going s
Aria’s POVLyra didn’t stop.Even with the way Damon’s anger filled the room, sharp, suffocating, and impossible to ignore, she pressed forward like she didn’t recognize danger when it stood right in front of her.Or worse… like she thought she could win against it.I lay there, barely able to keep







