The Rule
They uttered no curse, no sound, yet their truth smothered every lie that hissed at his ear.
Truth conquered shadow.
He leaned closer, drawn as though hypnotized, unable to resist.
Her own gaze met his—dark pupils blown wide, dangerous enough to consume her whole, yet trembling faintly with softness. Waiting. Ready to obey her, if only she willed it, like a fierce hound at her feet.
“What?” he whispered, the word grazing her lips.
Her thumb brushed along his cheek. “We can’t.”
A sigh escaped him, heavy, a fragment of longing darkening his hunter’s eyes. Desire burned in him like fire—but he understood. He saw the boundaries she clung to. And though it warred with everything inside him, he ho