Lucien POV
Her lips parted in sleep, a small sound slipping out soft, barely audible. It nearly broke what little restraint I had left.
I shouldn't be here.
Not like this.
But the bond didn't care for right or wrong. It was primal ancient magic older than our bloodline — and it thrummed beneath my skin like a drumbeat.
Her scent was everywhere, wrapping around me, teasing every edge of sanity.
One breath, and I was drowning in her.
I hovered just above her face, close enough to see the pulse fluttering at her throat. The mark glowed faintly faint, silvery light that pulsed in sync with mine.
I could feel it pulling me closer, whispering in that ancient language of power.
Claim her. Complete the bond. Unite the curse.
"Not yet," I murmured, even though the words tasted like ash.
Her eyelids fluttered. Slowly, she stirred. Her eyes opened, hazy with sleep, confusion knitting her brow.
When she saw me, she didn't scream she froze.
Then… she whispered, "Lucien?"
The sound of my name on her tongue made my chest tighten painfully.
I should've left then. I should've vanished before the look in her eyes could shatter me completely.
But I didn't move.
Instead, I sat at the edge of her bed, my voice low, rough.
"You should lock your doors."
She blinked, pushing herself upright, the sheets falling just enough to reveal bare skin. My throat tightened.
"I wasn't expecting you to show up in my room," she said, voice trembling but steady brave as always.
"You weren't supposed to matter," I replied.
That made her flinch. "What's that supposed to mean?"
I looked at her then really looked.
The fragile strength in her gaze. The faint glow of the mark just above her collarbone. The scent of fear tangled with something darker. Desire.
"You're not safe," I said. "Not from me. Not from what's coming.
Her lips parted. "You keep saying that. What does it even mean?
I hesitated. How could I tell her the truth that she was marked by a curse meant to destroy us all? That the reason I couldn't stay away was the same reason she might die if I did?
Instead, I reached for her wrist. She gasped when my fingers brushed her skin a spark, literal, flaring between us.
She pulled back, staring at the faint shimmer that followed the touch. "What was that?"
"Our bond," I said quietly. "It's… waking."
Her voice softened. "Bond?"
I didn't answer right away. My pulse was too loud. My control was cracking.
When I looked at her again, the mark on her skin was glowing brighter reacting to me.
And to something else.
A sudden wave of energy rippled through me hot, sharp.
Not from her. From him.
Lysander.
He was awake. He'd felt it.
He knew.
I cursed under my breath, standing abruptly. She flinched, clutching the sheets around her.
"Lucien"
"You have to trust me," I said. "Don't open the door for anyone. Don't go near anyone. Especially if he looks like me."
Her brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
I turned toward the balcony. "He'll come for you. Because he feels it too."
"Who will"
The wind howled, cutting her off. I was already halfway out the door when her voice caught me again.
"Lucien, wait!"
I stopped.
"Tell me what you're hiding," she said, her tone breaking between fear and need. "Why do I feel like I already know you? Why do I keep seeing your face in my dreams?"
My jaw clenched. The answer would ruin everything.
"Because you're mine," I said. "And you've always been."
Then I was gone swallowed by the night, leaving her shaking in the pale wash of moonlight.
Hours later, I stood in the manor's west wing, soaked in rain, rage simmering under my skin.
Lysander was waiting shirtless, wild-eyed, the same pulse of magic flickering beneath his skin.
"You touched her," he said.
"So did you," I snapped.
He laughed, low and sharp. "She called for you in her sleep."
"And you heard it through the bond."
"Of course I did," he said, stepping closer. "She's waking for both of us. The curse is binding again."
I grabbed him by the collar. "I'll kill you before I let that happen."
"Then you'll die too, brother."
We stood there, breathing hard, the air between us trembling with power. Neither of us wanted to admit the truth that for all our fury, all our denial the bond had already chosen.
And Ariana was the key.
If she accepted one of us, the other would fall.
But if she accepted both… the curse would complete.
And none of us knew what that meant.