LOGINSoren's Pov She watched me with wide, trusting eyes as I stripped off the rest of her clothes—jeans, underwear—until she was bare beneath me.I took a second to drink her in: the curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, and the way her thighs parted just slightly.It felt like an invitation to the only home I’d ever known.My mouth went dry at the sheer perfection of her.I shed my own clothes quickly, my cock already aching and heavy against my stomach with a demanding thrum.When I climbed onto the bed and settled between her legs, she welcomed me with open arms and a soft cry.I braced myself above her on my elbows, careful not to crush her under the weight of my hunger.I kissed her again—a slow, deep, and endless exploration of our shared history.My hand slid down her body, cupping her breast, my thumb circling her nipple until she arched into me.I moved lower still, over her ribs and her belly, until my fingers found the slick heat between her thighs.She was wet already, s
SorenI couldn’t let go of her.Not when I practically pulled her out of the war room, not in the hallway, not even when the heavy door to my bedroom finally clicked shut behind us.The moment the lock engaged, the noise of the world outside fell away, and it was just us—finally, fucking finally.Kahlan stood in the middle of the room, moonlight spilling through the tall windows and painting silver across her skin like a celestial blessing.She looked small in my space, fragile in a way that made my chest ache with a sudden, sharp protective instinct, but her eyes were steady on mine.She was waiting for me to speak, to explode, or to demand answers about Ramsey and the dangerous deal she’d made in the dark.I could see the questions in her gaze, the worry that I was going to lose my mind over what she’d told the others downstairs.But I didn’t care about any of that right now.Eight hours.She’d been gone eight hours, and the absence had shredded me, leaving my nerves raw and my mind
Ramsey's PovMy daughter.Even thinking about her makes my heart swell until it hurts.The sound of her laughter and the way her eyes light up when she’s genuinely happy are the only things that matter to me now.Power, alliances, and war mean nothing in comparison.I would burn the world to ash if it meant she would keep smiling.That truth settles heavy in my chest as I stare ahead, my lips curving without my permission.“You have a great smile on your face.”The voice comes from behind me, calm and knowing.I release a slow breath, the kind that carries a bone-deep exhaustion from too many sleepless nights and too many ugly decisions.I turn.Ephraim stands there, tall and broad-shouldered, his powerful build filling the doorway like a warning.His hair is styled neatly, streaked with grey that only sharpens his presence rather than dulling it.He looks every bit like Soren—the same sharp jaw and the same piercing eyes.And that is exactly why he hates his son.“I’m assuming that s
KahlanIt took a minute for my vision to clear. Everything felt distant, muffled, like I was underwater. My eyelids felt heavy, glued shut by a exhaustion I couldn’t quite name.“Mom—stop. She’s awake. They let her go.”The voice reached me first, but it didn’t fully register. It sounded like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. My head throbbed with a dull, rhythmic ache, and the world tilted precariously when I tried to focus on the flickering shadows above me.“Kay,” someone said, their voice cracking with an urgency that pulled me further toward the surface. “It’s me. Are you alright?”Hands touched my shoulders, firm but trembling, trying to help me sit up.“I’m supposed to be asking you that question,” I murmured hoarsely, my throat feeling like it had been scraped with glass. I blinked, forcing my eyes to stay open. “You look awful.”Freya froze for a second, a flicker of her usual spirit returning before she laughed weakly. Her face was deathly pale, the skin pulled
Kahlan I wiped the sweat from my brow, my chest rising and falling in a rhythm that still felt off.Ramsey sat across from me, calm as ever, his eyes tracking my every movement like he could see straight into my body and mind.“I can’t get it,” I said, frustration thick in my voice. “Why exactly are you teaching me how to breathe? I breathe just fine.”Ramsey chuckled, the sound low and amused.“If you can control your breathing, you can run faster… be faster. If you can do that, you can slow the spread of poison, and if you ever exert yourself while trying to close the barrier, you can stay conscious just long enough for someone to find you—if you’re far away.”I raised an eyebrow.“Careful, or I’ll assume you’re trying to save my life,” I joked, the tension in my shoulders easing just slightly.“Would it be so bad if I was?”His voice was quiet, but there was a faint lightness to it—a happiness I hadn’t seen in him before.Not fully, not entirely, but it was there, shimmering benea
Soren's POV.I didn’t even knock.I didn’t pause.I didn’t think about what I might see—or who I might have to fight.All I knew was her name, her scent, and how far I was willing to go to make them pay.“Their entire coven stays in one of the dorms… I set off the fire alarm and moved them here,” Freya said, voice steady as if we weren’t walking into hell itself.She didn’t flinch.Of course she wouldn’t.“And why can’t we just have Nyx burn down the building?” she added, tossing a glance over her shoulder.I didn’t answer immediately.I let my eyes scan the room, watching the way the shadows danced against the peeling wallpaper and the terrified huddle of women who thought they were untouchable.Windows cracked from the alarm’s chaos, witches frozen in confusion, their fingers twitching as they tried to find the thread of a spell that was already failing them.I let my lips curl faintly, savoring the way the air turned cold at my presence.“Now where’s the fear in that?” I said, rele







