When Leroy opened his eyes again, he pressed a kiss just above her ankle, right where the skin was flushed. Lorraine's breath hitched. The gesture wasn't just tender, it was grounding. A knight's vow made not to his queen, but to the woman who carried his heart and their future.
"Better?" he asked, looking up at her with a half-smile.
She nodded, trying to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. "A little," she admitted softly.
"Good," he said, voice low, brushing his thumb against her skin once more. "Because I'm not done taking care of you yet."
And somewhere behind them, from the vast shadows of the cavern, came a low, rumbling sound, a breath that wasn't quite a growl, nor quite a sigh. It rolled through the air like thunder restrained.
Lorraine stiffened. The warmth on her skin shifted, deepened, and a faint orange hue flickered across the cave walls.
Leroy turned.
And what met his eyes froze the blood in his veins.
