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A low growl escapes me, torn between hurling her away and dragging her close.

My body, however, decides the latter. I seize her arms, pressing her to the nearest wall, half expecting her to fight back.

But she remains still, eyes locked on mine, breath quickening.

My voice emerges a ragged whisper. “I hate how your boldness sets me aflame. I hate how easily you manipulate me with a single threat of leaving.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Hate it all you like, but you crave it too. Doesn’t the thought of Eryx fueling your jealousy stoke your blood even more?”

My stomach twists in a savage knot. “It does,” I confess bitterly. “And I despise myself for it. I’ve never let a woman toy with me like this.”

She lifts her chin, eyes blazing with victory. “You want me to swear devotion? That’s not my way. You want to punish me for Eryx? I dare you to try. See if I remain docile. Or you accept the heat you can have, knowing I give no vow to remain solely yours.”

My breathing is harsh, each exhalation trembling with pent-up desire.

Her words flay me open, exposing the raw truth I can’t evade.

The swirl of her unique scent and the warmth of her body push me further from reason.

With a ragged groan, I crush my mouth to hers.

She doesn’t resist; she kisses me back with matching ferocity.

Our teeth clash, tongues tangling in an unrefined dance, the taste of her fueling my every nerve.

I sense no gentleness—only a savage hunger that parallels our conflict.

I pin her wrists above her head, letting my body press hers into the wall. A broken moan escapes her lips. “You want me,” she hisses between kisses, “then bear the truth. I won’t kneel for you.”

I pull back, forcing my voice through ragged breaths. “I can’t stand the idea of you kneeling for anyone else.” My jealousy stings again, recalling Eryx’s hands on her thighs. She sees the flicker in my eyes and smirks.

“Then accept that you’ll have to share me,” she reiterates, as if driving the blade deeper.

Her words sear my pride. My entire being thrashes between fury and surrender.

Finally, I let her wrists go, stepping back.

My mind churns, grappling with this new normal.

She stands there, chest heaving, eyes bright with victorious defiance.

I sense how her desire kindles again, but she’s waiting for my decision.

I exhale, the admission wrung from me in a husky tone. “I’ll share you, if that’s what it takes. But don’t expect me to like it. Every time I envision Eryx’s hands on you, it might drive me mad.”

She places a palm on my chest, lightly. Her gaze softens—just a fraction.

“I don’t ask you to like it. Only to endure it if you want me to return.

And let me remind you, Vaelith, this arrangement doesn’t guarantee I choose you every night.

Some nights, I might crave my own solitude, or relish stirring Eryx’s chaos. You can’t stop me.”

My chest constricts, but a sliver of acceptance seeps in. “I could put a blade to his throat,” I mutter, anger still simmering.

She half laughs. “You could try, but then you’d see how quickly I vanish from your fortress. Eryx isn’t my husband, but he’s part of my plan to sabotage Orthani. I need him.” She arches a brow. “And you need me enough to let me keep him.”

Painful as it is, I see her logic. She’s forging alliances on every side, determined to remain unbound. And I’m no fool; if I try to chain her forcibly, she’ll slip through my fingers or turn her wrath on me. “You’re ruthless,” I say, voice low.

She nods. “And you love it.”

A reluctant huff escapes me. “I do.” My voice quivers with honesty. “Gods, I never expected to be undone by a purna. But here I am, ready to bear the humiliation of your multiple lovers so I don’t lose you entirely.”

She closes the distance again, placing a warm palm on my cheek. The unexpected gentleness makes my heart lurch. “It needn’t be humiliation, Vaelith. Think of it as… expanding your boundaries. Orthani’s rules never shaped me. If you stand with me, you stand outside those rules, too.”

The notion of discarding Orthani’s traditions for her is a bitter pill, yet the alternative—watching her slip away—tears at my soul. “I’ll do what I must,” I say, voice raw. “But if Eryx crosses me, I might forget all bargains.”

She smirks. “That’s between you men, as long as you don’t drag me into a petty brawl. I have bigger concerns, like freeing Ai and dismantling the council’s illusions.”

I recall the siege, the infiltration plans that swirl in secret. My role is to keep Orthani stable, but my heart wants her safe, even if it means letting Eryx share her bed. The conflict sears deeper, but I can’t let go now.

She grips the front of my tunic, tugging me close enough that her breath grazes my lips. “See, you can bear it. You’re strong enough to endure that jealousy. And if it drives you to more savage desire, I might enjoy that.”

A deep groan rumbles in my chest. I seize the back of her neck, pulling her into a fierce kiss that’s part anguish, part surrender.

She meets me with matching hunger, nails biting into my arms. Our tongues clash, the taste of her sweet torture.

My mind roars with the thought that I share her, that Eryx has felt her warmth too.

That knowledge makes me clutch her tighter, leaving bruises on her skin.

She moans, half-laughing against my mouth, as if my jealousy spurs her deeper into ecstasy.

I press her against the nearest wall again, our bodies slotting together in perfect friction.

She gasps, arching into me. The tension between us coils into a molten center, reminding me of the savage intimacy we shared.

My mouth roves along her jaw, nipping at the soft flesh of her neck.

She hisses, hooking a leg around my waist, letting me sense her readiness.

Yet a flicker of caution sparks in my mind. I recall how we’re in the corridor near her suite, a guard might return. “Inside,” I rasp, voice thick with need. “Or do you want the entire estate to see?”

She grins, biting her lip. “Let them watch. Let them see who truly wields the power.” But she relents, pushing me back enough to open her chamber door.

We spill inside, the lamp glow casting dancing shadows on the walls.

My chest tightens with the memory of seeing her with Eryx.

The same tang of anger and lust returns, fueling me to claim her now.

We engage in a frenzied dance, a blur of mouth and hands, stripping away the barriers of clothing.

Her laughter shivers with dark triumph, and I half hate how addictive it is.

She’s no prisoner, no subservient partner.

She’s an unstoppable force. I press her onto the bed, caging her with my arms, devouring her mouth in punishing kisses.

She arches, nails scraping my shoulders, pushing me to an almost painful desperation.

“Remember,” she breathes when I break away, chest heaving, “I’m not yours alone.”

A ragged moan tears from me. “I’ll endure it,” I growl, “but you’ll never forget how it feels when you’re with me.”

She shudders under my claim, eyes flashing. “Make me remember, then.”

We collide, the bed frame groaning beneath the force.

My hands roam her curves, rediscovering the lines that once offered me solace in the courtyard.

Each muffled gasp or moan ignites my jealousy and hunger further, forging them into a savage synergy.

She kisses me back with unbridled fury, meeting every thrust, every bite, every swirl of desire.

In that chaotic moment, I almost rejoice that I can’t fully possess her, because it makes each stolen time sear deeper.

As our bodies align, I close my eyes, banishing thoughts of Eryx.

In these heated heartbeats, she is with me.

She gasps my name, nails biting my flesh.

I let out a strangled groan, feeling her muscles clamp around me.

The swirl of pleasure is laced with the knowledge that she can choose another bed tomorrow.

That knowledge both tortures and inflames me, fueling a near-violent desperation to leave my mark, to ensure she can’t forget this.

The crescendo surges, my mind drowning in the taste of her sweat, the frantic pounding of our hearts.

I bury my face against her neck, muffling a roar as release claims me in a white-hot surge.

She moans, arching beneath me, and we ride the wave together, a savage union of rage and lust that no Orthani rule could condone.

When the tremors ease, we lie in a heap of tangled limbs, breaths ragged, hearts thudding.

My body hums with aftershocks, but my soul remains torn.

I shift onto my side, scanning her expression.

She’s flushed, eyes half-lidded in satiated triumph.

A faint ache flickers through me at the thought that she might share that same look with Eryx.

I press my lips to her temple, speaking in a low rumble. “Do you regret your arrangement with me? Or do I measure up to your assassin?”

She snorts, running a hand along my chest. “Comparisons are pointless. Eryx is chaos, you’re discipline, and I relish both. So long as you don’t try to lock me down, we can keep doing this.”

I close my eyes, loathing how fiercely I crave her acceptance. “I’ll keep your bargain,” I manage. “But if you toy with me, if you push me too far?—”

She lifts my chin, eyes gleaming. “You’ll what? Break me, kill me? We both know you can’t stomach that.”

She’s right. A tired laugh escapes me, hollow. “I’m already undone. Hate me if you want, but I can’t bear losing you.” My voice cracks with reluctant confession. “You hold me in your palm, Selene.”