76. Hearts Aflame

Shadow holds me in his arms as I try to steady my breathing. His warmth—so comforting, so familiar—is the only anchor I have in the midst of the chaos. The cabin is a wreck: shattered furniture, claw marks on the walls, and the metallic stench of blood thick in the air. But right now, the only thing that matters is that we're still alive.

“You shouldn't have done that, Lyra,” he says, his tone stern, though his hands on my back are unbearably gentle.

I pull back just enough to look into his eyes, my fingers still clutching the front of his blood-stained shirt.

“What was I supposed to do? Just stand there and watch them kill you?”

He exhales slowly, eyes closing like he's caught between yelling at me or kissing me.

“I can't lose you, Lyra,” he finally confesses, his voice no more than a whisper.

“Then don't ever ask me to walk away again,” I reply firmly—and this time, it's me who closes the distance between us.

Our lips meet, and the world stops spinning. It’s a desperate kiss, charged with everything we’ve been holding back. Rage, fear, hunger. It all bursts to the surface in one electric moment. And there's no turning back.

Shadow grabs my waist and lifts me like I weigh nothing. He carries me to the one corner of the cabin that’s still intact and lowers me onto a makeshift mattress. His body covers mine, his lips never leaving my mouth, my neck, my collarbone. Each kiss is a vow, a fierce declaration that no one will ever tear us apart.

But even in the midst of passion, the weight of what just happened claws at me. His wounds—though not fatal—are still bleeding. And the image of Klaus with that smug grin won't leave my mind.

“Shadow, wait…” I murmur, trying to catch my breath.

He stops instantly, his glowing eyes searching mine, suddenly alert.

“Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head and stroke his face with trembling fingers.

“No, but your wounds… we need to treat them.”

He gives me that maddeningly arrogant smile of his—the one that drives me crazy and makes me melt at the same time.

“I’ve lived through worse, Lyra. This is nothing.”

“Still. Let me help you.”

He sighs but shifts back enough to let me examine him. His shirt is torn and soaked in blood, revealing deep gashes across his abdomen and a slash on his shoulder that looks far worse than he admits.

I look for anything I can use and find a bottle of water and a relatively clean scrap of cloth. As I clean his wounds, he stays still, watching me with an intensity that makes my skin tingle.

“What?” I finally ask, not daring to meet his gaze.

“You’re incredible,” he says, his voice barely audible.

I freeze, heart pounding at his words. When I finally look up, those eyes—eyes that always seem to see straight through me—are waiting.

“Why would you say that?”

He leans in, cradling my face in his hands.

“Because no matter how many times I tell you to run, you come back. Because even with death breathing down our necks, you're still here, fighting beside me. And because, Lyra… I don’t know how I’ll go on if I ever lose you.”

His words hit me harder than any blow. Shadow isn't the kind of man who bares his soul easily. Hearing something so raw, so real from him… it leaves me breathless.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I finally say, my voice steady even as chaos rages inside me.

He smiles, and for a fleeting second, the world feels whole again. But reality wastes no time creeping back in.

A sharp creak outside the cabin sends us both on high alert. Shadow rises instantly, senses sharpened. I grab the dagger I left at my side and follow his lead.

“Again?” I whisper, heart hammering.

He motions for silence, gliding toward the door with lethal grace. His body coils, listening, every muscle ready.

Suddenly, the door bursts open—and a tall, broad man strides in, his eyes glowing gold with unmistakable power. But he's no threat.

“Shadow!” he calls out, voice low and urgent.

Shadow’s stance softens, but not entirely.

“Maxwell. What are you doing here?”

The newcomer shuts the door behind him, his face grim.

“No time for explanations. Klaus is rallying his entire pack. They’ve been ordered to kill you… and take the human alive.”

My grip tightens on the dagger, but Shadow doesn’t flinch.

“I figured. How long do we have?”

“Hours, if we’re lucky. Less, if they move fast.”

Shadow nods, thoughts racing behind those eyes.

“Are you here to help or just deliver bad news?”

Maxwell growls, crossing his arms.

“You know I’ve always got your back, brother. But we need a plan, and we need it now.”

As they talk, it sinks in—my world just got even more complicated. We're not only fighting to survive; we’re up against a threat that won’t stop until we’re both destroyed.

And even if the fear is overwhelming, one thing is crystal clear:

No matter what’s coming… I won’t let them tear us apart.