Theo’s point of view The ceiling has nothing to offer me, but I stare at it like it might eventually give in. It’s been four months since she walked into my life—and since then, there hasn’t been a day I haven’t thought about her. Not a moment I haven’t felt her presence in my chest, tightening like a vice or softening like a prayer. Eva. She came in with her silent footsteps and steel eyes and cracked me open without even trying. My mind. My heart. My kingdom. All hers. And I love every damn second of it. But what terrifies me, in that quiet, slippery way only real fear can… is the possibility I’ll screw this up. That I’ll push too hard. That I’ll lose her to something bigger than both of us. I shift onto my side, pressing my face into the pillow that still smells faintly like her. She hasn’t slept beside me in three nights. She’s pulling away again—probably trying to make sense of the bond without letting it consume her. Or maybe she’s protecting me. I hate how much I get it.
Eva’s Point of View I open my eyes and I’m not in my room anymore. The air smells like nothing. Feels like everything. A pale field stretches out around me—white, endless, glowing like it’s been kissed by the gods. I know this place. My vision space. My little corner of divine interference. Only this time, I’m not alone. Sonia stands a few feet away, her brows drawn in tight confusion, feet sinking slightly into the glowing mist underfoot. Her braid is half undone, as if she got pulled straight from sleep. I don’t blame her for the stunned look—this isn’t the kind of place you stumble into gently. “What is this?” she whispers, turning in a slow circle. “Welcome to my world,” I murmur, stepping beside her. “We’re experiencing a vision. Together.” She blinks at me like I’ve just handed her a live grenade wrapped in tinsel. Before she can fire off more questions, the light in front of us thickens, swirls—then parts like a curtain. A figure glides toward us, cloaked in soft gold
Eva’s Point of View I sip my coffee, elbows planted on the windowsill, watching the two lovebirds across the courtyard. Well, four technically, but only two have admitted it to themselves. The other pair? Masters of denial. It’s kind of fascinating—watching people orbit around each other, pulled together like magnets but pretending it’s just gravity playing tricks. Stranger still: I enjoy this. Before, I would’ve observed with clinical distance, maybe even some disdain. Now? I feel things. Curiosity. Amusement. Longing. That last one’s a bitch. I glance sideways, and sure enough, Theo is already watching me, smirking like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. Which he probably does. Bastard. But instead of growling at him like I used to, I smile. It’s automatic, unnerving. That smirk has become familiar—almost comforting. We may not be intimate, but there’s no denying we’re connected. The way he touches me in small, deliberate ways. The way I lean into them now. And gods, the way
Michael’s Point of View I wake up to the softest thing I’ve felt in weeks: sunlight brushing against my face like it knows I need a gentler start today. Sonia’s legs are tangled around my waist, not loosely either—tight, like she’s still claiming me even in her sleep. Protective or possessive, I’m not sure. I smile into the pillow. She’s possessive. She needs to be. Last night wasn’t just about release—it was about everything she’s never been given permission to want. Power. Control. Safety. A place to fall. And someone strong enough to catch her. Her honey-brown hair is a chaotic halo on the pillow. Strands cling to her cheek, her forehead, her bare shoulder. She looks like the end of a storm. Beautiful, messy, and calm at last. And then she snores. Not loud. Not obnoxious. Just a faint, rhythmic little puff of sound that makes me grin like an idiot. Somehow, it’s the most charming thing about her. I lie there for a while, watching the light move across her skin. But eventual
Sonia’s point of view “Say it,” he murmurs. “Say you want me.” “I don’t—” He pins me to the counter before the lie can finish. His mouth crashes into mine, hot and rough and so full of need I forget how to breathe. I fist his shirt, pulling him closer, teeth clashing with his in a kiss that tastes like fury and lust and surrender. His hands are on my hips, gripping hard enough to bruise, and when he lifts me onto the counter, I wrap my legs around him without thinking. I want to fight. I want to melt. He drags his mouth down my neck, biting, tasting, staking his claim in every inch of skin. Then he pulls back, breathing hard. His eyes are glowing. “Bedroom. Now.” I smirk. “Or what?” Michael growls—a low, possessive sound that vibrates through my chest. He lifts me like I weigh nothing and tosses me over his shoulder. “Or I take you right here, against the kitchen counter, where anyone could walk in.” I squirm, laughing—but it dies in my throat when he swats my ass, hard
Sonia’s Point of View For two weeks straight, we’ve been pretending. Michael and I, pretending the air between us isn’t a live wire of frustration, attraction, and… whatever the hell this is. He says it’s progress. I say it’s a ticking time bomb. We’ve been trying—really trying—to be less antagonistic. Less sarcastic. Less explosive. But old habits die hard. Like this morning, for example, when I walked into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of my eyes, expecting the comforting smell of freshly brewed coffee, only to find shards of the beloved coffee pot scattered across the floor like casualties of some caffeine-fueled war. I stare down at the mess, disbelief mixing with pure irritation, and there he is—Michael—leaning against the counter, looking way too casual for someone responsible for this catastrophe. “It slipped,” he says, as if that explains everything. “You murdered it,” I say, crossing my arms, my foot tapping the floor like a ticking time bomb myself. He shrugs, no