MasukHe took a step toward her, slow and predatory. "There will never be another. Not while I breathe. Not while I exist."His voice dropped lower. "I would burn every kingdom to ash before I let another man look at you, Sera. Do you understand me?"Sera didn’t move. Her breath quickened. Not in fear, bu
She reached for his arm—He jerked away. "I left because the rut was coming. Because I knew if I stayed, I’d mark you with another child and destroy the last pieces of you I hadn't already taken.""Rhazien—""No." His eyes burned, voice rising like a storm ready to split the world. "You think I don’
The citadel had gone quiet for the night.Lioren had taken the last shift patrolling the outer hall, his boots silent against the stone. Even the flames in the sconces burned low, as if the mountain itself held its breath.Sera had watched him earlier from the nursery doorway, the way his small fram
“Then we find another way,” she said. “Mortals have ways to—”“No.”His voice was final, sharp as a blade. “We’re not talking about root teas or salves. I know what my body is capable of. I know what I’ll take from you if I lose control.”“You didn’t lose control. Not even once.”He shook his head s
It had been weeks since the birth, yet the mountain still felt like it held its breath—like every stone and shadow remembered the moment blood painted its halls. The air remained thick, not with smoke or heat, but with silence. A silence that pressed down, weighty and expectant, as though waiting fo
"So will I."Rhazien, watching from a short distance, didn’t speak. But he inclined his head once—slight, solemn. A gesture full of unspoken meaning.It was the closest thing to a blessing he’d ever given.And this time, Lioren didn't flinch from it.He straightened his spine.Sera watched him for a
The warmth woke her.It wasn’t the soft, steady heat of the nesting chamber. This was deeper. Hungrier. Sera stirred beneath the silks, blinking against the glow of firelight. The nest held its warmth like a breath, but her skin was too hot. Not from Rhazien’s body beside hers, not from the furs ben
The heat was unbearable. The fire crawled up her arms, licked at her throat.But it didn’t touch her.It didn’t burn her.It wrapped around her.The flame curved like a lover’s arms, brushing the silk of her dress, her bare collarbone. Heat soaked into her, but not pain. No blistering. No searing. O
His hands roamed—down her spine, across her hips, reverent but hungry. There was no hesitation left, only need. The bond surged with it, exalting in their unity, the magic searing between them like a second heartbeat.He stood, lifting her without breaking the kiss, and laid her down on the nearest
"We only wish to understand your choice," she said, but her gaze slid sideways, assessing the court around her. The words dripped with false diplomacy, a careful backpedal laced with venom.Before he could respond, Sera stepped forward—no longer a girl, but a woman reborn in flame. Her voice cut thr







