The tension between them had always simmered, sharp and near-violent beneath every word, every glance, every breath. But tonight, it no longer strained against restraint. There were no more rules to follow. No eyes watching from high council seats. No thrones to kneel before.
Only instinct.
Only need.
Only her.
Athena stood between them, the curve of her back bathed in moonlight, the sheer black gown clinging to her like mist. The balcony doors were still open, the wind teasing the loose tendrils of her hair, carrying the scent of her wolf—ripe with the pulse of divine heat now awakened fully, sanctioned by the bond and made all the more potent by her refusal to deny it anymore.
Cassius moved first.
