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I realize I've been silent for too long, my brothers watching me with varying degrees of curiosity and concern.

“It's not just strategy,” I say finally, my voice rougher than intended. “I want her to be mine. Completely.”

Alexi grins despite his injury. “There's the romantic I knew was hiding under all that tactical gear.”

“This isn't romance,” I snap, though even as I say it, I know it's a lie. “This is possession. Protection.”

“Call it whatever makes you sleep better at night,” Dmitri says with amusement. “But you're talking about marriage, not a business contract.”

Nikolai leans forward, his steel gaze fixed on me. “Are you certain about this, Erik? Marriage isn't something you can walk away from when it gets complicated.”

“Nothing about Katarina has been simple since the moment I met her,” I admit. “But I've never been more certain of anything in my life.”

The truth of that statement hits me like a physical blow. I've spent my entire adult life avoiding emotional entanglements, keeping everyone at arm's length except for my brothers. Even with them, I maintain careful distance.

But Katarina...

She's already under my skin, in my blood. The thought of her belonging to someone else makes violence surge through my veins. The idea of her carrying my name, sharing my bed every night, being mine in every way that matters...

“She hasn't agreed to any of this,” Sofia points out gently. “You might want to ask her opinion before planning the wedding.”

“She loves me,” I say, the words still foreign on my tongue. “She told me.”

“Love and marriage are different things,” Sofia continues. “Especially in our world.”

The confidence I felt moments ago evaporates like smoke. My hands clench into fists on the table as the reality of what I'm proposing crashes over me.

“What if she says no?”

The words escape before I can stop them, and I immediately want to take them back. But they hang in the air, exposing a vulnerability I rarely show anyone.

“She might not want marriage,” I continue, my voice tight. “She's spent her whole life fighting for independence. Her father just tried to force her into an arranged marriage. The last thing she might want is another man telling her what to do.”

Alexi winces. “Shit. You're right.”

“She could see it as just another cage,” I say, the thought making my stomach twist. “Another way for a man to control her life.”

Sofia's expression softens with understanding. “Erik?—”

“And if she refuses?” I cut her off, the worst-case scenario playing out in my mind. “If she says no, then what? Igor won't stop coming for her. The Petrovs will see her as an insult to their family's honor. She'll be a target for the rest of her life.”

My breathing gets shallow as I think about all the ways this could go wrong. “She could run. Disappear. Use that brilliant mind of hers to vanish completely, and I'd never see her again.”

The possibility feels like a blade between my ribs.

“I can't force her,” I say, hating how helpless I sound. “Not after what her father put her through. I can't be another man who takes away her choices.”

Nikolai's cold gaze fixes on me with laser intensity. “Are you going soft, Erik?”

The question hits like a slap. “What?”

“Going soft,” he repeats, his voice carrying that dangerous edge that makes enemies wet themselves. “Because last I checked, Ivanovs don't take no for an answer.”

“This is different?—”

“Is it?” Nikolai leans forward. “You love her. You want her. You need her safe. Those aren't requests you make politely and walk away from if the answer isn't what you want to hear.”

“She's not some business acquisition,” I snap back.