He suddenly told the guards to leave and dragged me into one of the royal rooms.
The air shifted. I felt it in my chest first—tight, warm, and heavy. Then it spread across my skin, like tiny sparks dancing over my body.
I looked into his eyes and everything else faded. The noise. The movement. It all just… paused.
I didn't know what this feeling was. It wasn't fear. It wasn't excitement either. It was something deeper. Like something in me recognized something in him.
He didn't say a word. Just stared at me like he already owned me. My legs turned weak. I could barely stay standing.
"I should go," I whispered, turning my head slightly, but my body didn't move. I was frozen in place, breathing like I had just run a mile.
Then his scent hit me—rich, warm, like smoke and spice mixed with something wild and dangerous. It pulled me in. My body leaned forward without thinking, closing the space between us.
What the hell was I doing?
He stepped closer, his eyes locked on mine like he was peeling me open.
"You feel it, don't you?," he said in a low, deep voice that rolled down my spine. "That fire burning inside you? The ache? That's the bond calling you."
I held my breath. My chest was rising and falling too fast.
I should've backed away. I should've told him to stay the hell back. But instead, I whispered, "What's happening to me?"
He didn't answer right away. He just watched me — like he enjoyed seeing me come undone.
His fingers brushed my cheek, so gently I thought I imagined it. But the warmth that followed proved it was real. My skin lit up, and between my legs, a low throb started to build.
I whimpered.
God, I whimpered.
I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I wanted him to press me against the wall and do something — anything — to relieve the pressure.
"Touch me," I heard myself say.
My hand flew to my mouth the second the words slipped out, but it was too late.
"You're shaking," he said.
"I'm not," I managed to say.
"No?," he said, his voice dropping lower. "Then you're starving."
Immediately, he kissed me.
It wasn't sweet or soft. It was raw, rough and full of heat and hunger. His lips slammed into mine, as his tongue slide into my mouth like he had waited forever.
I didn't fight it. I kissed him back, hard. My fingers gripped his shoulders, needing to feel him close.
He grabbed my waist and lifted me like I weighed nothing, slamming me gently into the wall. My legs wrapped around him on their own.
His body was hard, all muscle and heat. His hips pressed against mine, and I felt him—thick and solid—pushing through our clothes.
I moaned into his mouth, dizzy from the way he made me feel.
"Tell me to stop," he said against my lips.
But I didn't. I couldn't. I pulled him closer, kissing him like I would break without him.
His hands moved under my thighs, pushing my dress up. Then they slipped higher until his fingers brushed my underwear.
He touched me. Even through the fabric, I knew he felt how wet I was for him.
"Oh god," I gasped, grinding into his hand. "More…"
He cursed under his breath, trying to keep control.
"You don't even know what this means," he said, voice tight.
"I don't care," I said, tugging at his shirt. "Just don't stop."
He slid my panties to the side and found my wet heat with his fingers. I cried out, loud and breathless.
"Shhh," he whispered against my neck, planting kisses along my skin. "We're just beginning."
I arched into him, my nails digging into his back. His name slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
"Jaxon…"
He paused.
He pulled back just enough to look at me. His eyes burned, but now there was something else.
"Say it again," he whispered, like he needed to hear it.
"Jaxon," I breathed.
His pupils widened. His jaw tightened.
Then he buried his face in my neck and breathed me in deep.
"Mate," he growled into my skin.
That one word hit something deep inside me, like it unlocked something I didn't even know was there.
Suddenly, the pull, the fire, the ache—it all made sense.
Everything started spinning. My body gave up. I couldn't hold on anymore.
With the last bit of strength I had, I whispered, "Yours…"
Then the world faded into darkness.