Athena reached out, placing a hand on each of their chests. "You both were meant to be more than mates. You were meant to be shields. Weapons. Flame and steel. If you hate each other, the bond will consume us. If you resist it, it will fracture me."
Lucas let out a breath, the fire in his veins just barely contained. "And if we submit to it?"
Her gaze met his with an intensity that left no room for denial. "Then we become something the world has never seen before."
For a moment, silence returned.
Cassius's heartbeat pounded like a war drum beneath her palm. Lucas's wolf stood just beneath his skin, restless and wary, but present. They were both trembling—not with fear, but with the pressure of the decision hanging over them like a blade.
Then Cassius stepped back first, running a hand down his face, frustration seething through his body. "I need to run. Hunt. Break something that isn't each other."
Athena nodded. "Then go."
