The next morning, I woke up in Kyler's bed.
Not from love. Not from lust.
From safety.
He had pulled me into his arms sometime during the night. And I stayed. His heartbeat was steady against my back, his breath warm against my neck.
I didn't want to move.
But I had to.
Because something inside me had shifted.
I didn't want to just survive anymore.
I wanted to fight for the life I deserved.
Later that day, while Kyler was on a call, I sat with one of his guards—Leo. He'd been kind to me from the beginning. Quiet. Loyal. Always watching.
"Can I ask you something?" I said.
Leo nodded.
"If I wanted to help Kyler—like, really help—how would I start?"
He looked surprised. "Help with what?"
"His world. His enemies. His… pain."
Leo hesitated. Then he said, "First, you stop being afraid. Then, you learn how to defend yourself."
I looked him in the eye.
"Then teach me."
When Kyler found out, he wasn't happy.
"You think you can handle this world now?" he asked, voice hard.
"I don't think," I said. "I know."
He laughed once. Bitterly. "You don't know what it means to have blood on your hands."
"No," I said. "But I know what it feels like to be powerless. And I'm done feeling that way."
His jaw clenched. "I wanted to protect you from this."
"And I love you for that," I whispered. "But I want to protect you, too."
That shut him up.
He looked at me for a long time—then finally nodded.
"One hour. With Leo. Every day. No weapons until I say so."
I smiled. "Deal."
Days passed.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt myself getting stronger.
Physically. Emotionally.
The bruises on my skin from training made me feel alive.
And through it all, Kyler watched me—like he didn't know whether to be proud or terrified.
Sometimes, he pulled me aside after training just to press his lips to my forehead.
No words.
Just… presence.
And I needed that more than anything.
But on the seventh night, something changed.
I walked into his office, expecting him to be reading.
Instead, he was pacing.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He looked up.
"My father's people. They're coming."
My stomach dropped. "Why now?"
"Because they know I'm distracted," he said bitterly. "They know I'm in love."
I walked over to him, placed my hands on his chest.
"Then let them come," I said.
He stared at me like I'd just handed him the entire world.
"You really aren't afraid anymore, are you?"
I shook my head.
"I'm afraid of losing you. But not them."
That night, we didn't sleep.
We made love like it was the last night we'd have.
And maybe it was.
Because in the morning…
The war would begin.