The night had a sharp edge to it—cutting, bitter, and heavy with unspoken truths.
Selena sat by the fire in the small cabin Dante had brought her to after their narrow escape. Her fingers curled around the wool blanket draped over her shoulders, but no warmth reached the hollowness spreading through her chest.
She'd kissed him.
Not out of fear, not under duress, but out of something far more terrifying—desire.
And now, she was drowning in it.
Across the room, Dante stood shirtless, the firelight casting bronze shadows along his muscled back as he wiped the blood from his arms. Not hers. Never hers. But still too much for any soul to carry.
"Say something," she whispered, her voice barely louder than the wind scraping against the windows.
He didn't turn. "What do you want me to say?"
"That it meant nothing," she said. "That the kiss... was a mistake."
He finally turned, eyes glowing faintly, not with fury—but something far more dangerous.
Longing.
"It wasn't a mistake," he said.
Her breath caught.
Dante stepped closer, slow, predatory, every movement carved from tension and temptation. "You can lie to yourself, Selena. But not to me. I felt it. You felt it. The bond is awakening."
She shook her head. "You keep talking about this bond like it's fate. Like I don't have a choice."
"You don't," he said, his voice low. "Neither of us do."
"I'm not ready for this," she said, rising to her feet. "I barely understand what you are, what I am now. And I won't let some supernatural pull decide my life."
He approached her, close enough that she could feel the heat of his skin. "I was ready to die for you. I killed for you. And I'll do it again."
"That's not love, Dante. That's obsession."
He leaned in, voice rough against her ear. "And what if I told you I don't know the difference anymore?"
The air between them crackled.
Selena's heart pounded. She should move away. Should run. But her body betrayed her, just like it had when their lips met—when her soul had flared to life beneath his touch.
"I don't want to want you," she whispered.
"But you do," he said, cupping her cheek. "And that's what terrifies you."
A knock shattered the silence.
Dante froze.
Selena's heart jumped into her throat. "You said no one could find us."
"They shouldn't have," he growled, moving instantly toward the door, claws sharpening.
Selena grabbed his arm. "What if it's not an enemy?"
"Then they'll live," he said. "But if it is... I won't hesitate."
He flung the door open.
A woman stood there, cloaked in black, eyes like silver knives. "Hello, Dante," she purred. "Miss me?"
Dante's entire body tensed.
Selena stepped forward, confusion swirling. "Who is she?"
The woman's smile was venomous. "His past. And perhaps... your future's worst nightmare."
"Leave, Alara," Dante said, voice colder than steel. "You don't belong here."
Alara stepped inside anyway. "But she does? This mortal girl with a pretty mouth and a cursed heart?"
"I won't let you touch her," Dante growled.
"Oh, but you already have," Alara said, eyes flickering to Selena. "And now, she's mine too."
Selena stepped back, dread flooding her veins. "What does she mean?"
Dante didn't answer.
And that silence said everything.
Alara smirked. "You didn't tell her, did you? That the bond doesn't just connect mates—it connects enemies too."
Selena's knees buckled.
Dante caught her.
"You're lying," he hissed at Alara.
"Am I?" she said sweetly. "Let's see how long it takes before she burns from the inside out."
Then, she vanished—like smoke into the night.
Selena clutched her chest, pain blooming beneath her ribs.
Dante lifted her into his arms. "Hold on. I'll fix this."
She looked up at him, eyes filled with tears. "You already broke it."
And this time, she didn't stop the darkness when it took her.