"What makes me hold on so close?"Leon moved ahead, now standing where no space remained between us. His hands pressed into my shoulders, no force there, only a need sharper than anything I’d seen in him before."You think this is just a ritual?" his voice broke, dropping to a hoarse whisper. "No, Rhea. I protect you because every time I see you, I feel as if my dark world has a reason to keep turning."Out of nowhere, my mouth lost feeling. I stood there, shocked.That phrase landed like a blow I couldn’t shake. The fire inside me died fast, giving way to something tight in my chest. Under the glittering light of an ornate ceiling fixture, Leon Vareth, feared ruler and unchallenged leader, stood, yet his hands trembled. A moment ago, furious, now frozen, he looked smaller beneath those sharp glass pendants.His hand slid off my shoulder. A pause. He turned his head, eyes elsewhere, as if something said too loudly could not be taken back."Go to sleep," he said again, this time his vo
Last Updated : 2026-02-10 Read more