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I snarl, flipping her onto her knees. Her gasp is swallowed by the thunder as I yank her hips back, plunging into her from behind. She chokes my name, fingers scrambling against the bedding.

“You receive me so well,” I grind out, one hand fisting her hair. “As if you were created for me.”

“Korrin—ah!” Her cry pitches higher when my thumb finds her clit, circling roughly.

“Come for me,” I order, slamming into her. “Let me feel it.”

Her body obeys, shuddering as she falls apart. The way her pussy milks my cock wrings a guttural groan from me. I chase my own release, fucking her through her climax until my spine locks, pleasure detonating like a blade to the gut.

“Elyria—” I say her name repeatedly like a promise of heaven as I come inside her.

For a heartbeat, the world stills. Only our ragged breaths and the crackling fire exist. Then she collapses beneath me, and I barely catch myself before crushing her.

I pull out gently, but she winces. “Sore?” I murmur.

She huffs a weak laugh. “You’re… a lot.”

A chuckle rumbles in my chest, but it dies when I see the tears streaking her cheeks. I brush one away with my thumb. “Regrets?”

She turns her face into my palm. “Ask me tomorrow.”

The chain of her collar gleams between us, cold against my skin. I should leave. Should let her rest. But when I shift to rise, her hand fists in my hair.

“Stay,” she whispers.

And like a fool, I do.

With trembling care, I ease beside her, pulling the remnants of cloth to shield her from the chill.

The fire cracks, sending sparks dancing.

She exhales a shaky breath, curling her body slightly.

I lie next to her, uncertain if I should wrap an arm around her or leave her be.

The chain from her collar glints between us, a harsh reminder that this closeness is built on something precarious.

A silence falls, broken only by our ragged breathing. Eventually, she shifts, turning her head to look at me. Her gaze is guarded, yet there’s a flicker of softness. “That…” she begins, then trails off.

I swallow. “I know.” Words fail me. I want to apologize, to vow I’ll free her, to claim I have answers. But I have none. All I can say is, “Are you hurt?” My voice is soft, laced with concern.

She shakes her head, brushing a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “No,” she whispers. Then she grimaces, wincing a bit. “I mean—my ankle’s a bit sore, but… no.”

A weight I didn’t realize I was carrying lifts from my chest. I nod, uncertain how to move forward from this moment.

The tension is both relieved and transformed into something deeper, more terrifying.

We’ve crossed a line. We’re no longer just captor and captive, nor even reluctant allies.

There’s a bond now, forged in the rush of physical need and half-buried emotions.

She averts her gaze. “This doesn’t change the fact that I still want to be free,” she says, voice brittle.

I nod slowly. “I know. It doesn’t change that I want to protect you, either.”

She laughs, a quiet, humorless sound. “So we’re stuck.”

I consider the collar, recalling how I once threatened to remove it.

My mind flinches, picturing her fleeing into the forest, unable to outrun the dangers that lurk there.

But how can I keep her chained after this?

The conflict tears at me. “For now, yes,” I manage. “But we’ll figure something out.”

Silence stretches between us again, heavy with unspoken questions. She sighs, turning to face the fire. I sense her exhaustion, the emotional toll of the last weeks. My body aches too, but I can’t find it in myself to drift off. Instead, I sit up slightly, leaning against a chunk of rubble.

She hesitates, then shifts closer, resting her head against my arm in a gesture that’s half-reluctant, half-grateful for warmth. My wings fold around her, creating a cocoon that shields us both from the chill. The chain rattles softly as she nestles against my side, eyes sliding shut.

A wave of something akin to contentment and dread washes over me.

I shouldn’t want this, but I do. My instincts, lethal and possessive, have found a new outlet—cradling her in the aftermath of what we just shared.

Gently, I brush my claws through her hair, mindful of the silver streak.

She doesn’t pull away, though I sense her uncertainty humming beneath the surface.

The storm outside finally breaks, a steady rain pattering on the broken stone overhead.

Warm candlelight from the fire casts dancing shadows on the ruined walls.

We’re exposed here, vulnerable if an enemy stumbles upon us.

Yet for a brief moment, the looming threats fade, overshadowed by the quiet sound of Elyria’s breathing.

I tighten my arm around her, heart pounding with an emotion far too big to name.

She’s not truly safe, not truly free, and I have no idea how to fix that.

But in this hush, with her resting against my chest, I allow myself to imagine a future that doesn’t end in bloodshed.

Foolish, maybe, but the thought glows inside me like a faint star in a dark sky.

I glance down, meeting her half-lidded stare.

Her eyes reflect the dying fire, vulnerable and wary.

I lean forward, pressing my forehead gently to hers.

A peace settles over us, fragile as the burned logs.

In the coming days, we’ll still clash, still wrestle with the chain that binds her.

But for tonight, in this stolen moment, we’re bound by something else too—a collision of fear and desire that we can’t deny.

I feel her breathing slow, drifting toward sleep. I vow silently to stand guard through the night, though my own mind churns with questions. What am I now? A traitor to my race? A protector to a woman I once would have slain without question?

Whatever the answer, I know we’ve crossed a threshold. There’s no returning to our old roles. She’s in my arms, her heartbeat echoing in my ears, and I’m unwilling to let her go—even if it means defying the Alpha’s decree.

Lightning flashes in the distant sky one more time. Then darkness settles fully, and I shut my eyes, holding her close. Let the world storm outside—tonight, we stand together, no matter how impossible it may seem.