LOGINAdrian’s POVThe Oden…Emma, or whatever shell she was wearing now…leaned forward again, the silver cuffs biting into her wrists without her seeming to notice. That eerie smile stayed plastered on her face like it had been carved there. Her eyes weren’t blinking anymore. Not once. Just wide, unblinking pools of black that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.But I didn't let go. My hand stayed on her neck. I needed a way out of this that would not involve my mate bleeding for it.“Are you willing to take that path?” she repeated, voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Or are you going to keep pretending you have the luxury of morals?”I felt the growl rumble low in my chest before I could stop it. “Just say it. Stop beating around the bush like a coward.”She tilted her head, studying me like I was a particularly interesting insect pinned to a board. Then she laughed again…soft this time, almost intimate, the sound crawling under my skin.“This is even better,” she murmured,
Adrian’s POVThe cabin was dim, lit only by the soft blue glow of the overhead reading lights and the faint pulse of cabin lights through the window shades. Kira stirred in my arms with a sharp, sudden gasp…like she’d been yanked out of deep water. Her body jerked once, hard, and she mumbled something incoherent, words tumbling over each other in a half-dream slur.“…no… don’t… have to find… she’s waiting…”I tightened my hold instantly, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other splayed protectively across her bare back. “Hey. Hey, princess. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”Her eyes fluttered open…wide, unfocused, pupils still blown from sleep and whatever nightmare had clawed its way in.She blinked at me like she was trying to remember where the dream ended and reality began, then sagged against my chest with a shaky exhale.I kissed her temple, tasting salt and the faint sweetness of her skin. “Bad dream?”She didn’t answer. Just pressed her face into the crook of my neck and
Adrian’s POV The private cabin door was locked. Soundproofed. Sealed. The rest of the jet might as well have been on another continent. Our kiss had deepened into something reckless, something consuming…heat building, breaths tangling…when my phone shattered the moment. I groaned under my breath and pulled away, pressing a quick, lingering kiss to her lips before stepping out. It was about her company, something that couldn’t wait. But when I returned, the fire in her eyes had softened… dimmed by sleep. She lay there, lashes heavy, lips still slightly parted like she was caught between wanting more and surrendering to exhaustion. God, I wanted her. Badly. Every inch of me burned to pick up where we left off, to drag her back into that dizzying heat. But I’m not a man who rushes what’s worth savoring. So instead, I brushed my thumb lightly over her cheek, letting the tension settle into something quieter… something promising. She’d rest. And when I had her again…I’d take
Kira’s POVThe courthouse doors clicked shut behind us like the final note of a song I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the end of. Less than fifteen minutes. In. Out. Legally bound.Adrian had shaken the judge’s hand…some silver-haired man who called him “Your Majesty” with the casual familiarity of an old poker buddy…and murmured something about finishing the rest of the paperwork and sending it straight to him. The judge had nodded once, eyes flicking to me with polite curiosity, then back to Adrian like he already knew the script.And just like that, my name was Kira Arabella Draven.I kept staring at the diamond on my left hand as we walked back to the car. Not the transfer documents anymore. The ring. Simple. Stunning. A single stone that caught every stray beam of light and threw it back like it was daring the world to look away. When the hell had he even bought this? Planned this? Was this the trap snapping shut, or had I just handed him the key myself?Leah groaned in my head,
Kira’s POVThe car hummed beneath us, smooth and quiet like it knew better than to interrupt the moment. I had stormed in there, ready to sweet-talk Adrian out of whatever plan that involved helping them out…until I got to realize that he wasn’t actually helping them.I couldn’t stop staring at the document balanced on my lap…the crisp white pages, the fresh ink, the official seals that screamed finality. Summers Group. Transferred. Sole ownership: Kira Draven.Kira Draven.Every time my eyes slid over those two words my chest did this stupid, painful squeeze…like someone had reached inside and hugged my heart too hard. I still couldn’t believe it. I’m now the owner of my company?!After everything. After everything they took from mom and I.After the way Frederick and his dear family had smiled like sharks while they carved pieces of her legacy away… it was back. In my name. Mom’s company. Her blood, sweat, tears, and that quiet stubborn pride she carried everywhere…she was still
Adrian’s POVShe stormed in like a hurricane wearing crocs, and the bond between us lit up like a live wire. I almost started panicking, wondering what I did wrong, until I realized she wasn’t looking at me.I could feel hatred pouring off her in waves…hot, sharp, aimed straight at the two people on their knees like she wanted to set them on fire with her eyes alone. My wolf surged forward, chest rumbling with pride and something darker. Protect. Claim. Destroy whoever hurt her. If she wants them dead this instant, I could make it happen in a matter of seconds. I would do literally anything just to see her smile more.I watched her march right up to me, every step deliberate, that burgundy outfit hugging her curves like it was made to drive me insane. I expected some kind of outburst but instead, her voice flipped…sweet, girly, the kind of tone a girl uses when she’s talking to her crush and the whole world disappears.“Baby,” she cooed, “I missed you.”Baby?Me? She called me bab
Kira’s POVThe so-called Dark Zone should be a piece of cake. She’s probably overreacting to scare me.I cleared my throat and crossed my arm. “Tell me more about this Dark Zone,” I said.Victoria crossed her arms, that smug little smile still plastered on her face, but her eyes had this gleam…like
Kira’s POVI stepped out of the palace car and into the academy courtyard, and the vibe hit me like a brick wall.Last time I was here, it was chaos…whispers, side-eyes, people “accidentally” bumping into me, snickers behind hands. Pure mean-girl energy. Today? Dead silence. Everyone either stared
Kira’s POVI stood there, staring at that stupid fence like it was mocking me. God, I need to start working out more!Twenty steps?That’s all I’d managed before my lungs gave up and my legs turned to jelly. My chest heaved, sweat already sticking to my back. I’m human after all. Fully, pathetical
Adrian’s POVThe same bloody curse.It wasn’t some ancient fairy tale whispered around campfires to scare pups. It was real, carved into my bloodline like a scar that never healed. I’d lived with it my whole life, but I’d never truly understood the monster it could turn me into until that one night







