Later that night, Aria found herself outside, drawn by something she couldn't name. The moon hung high, casting pale light across the clearing. And he was there—the alpha, standing alone, shirtless, his scars glowing faintly under the moonlight.
"Why are you here?" he asked without turning around.
She didn't know. Her feet had simply brought her to him.
"I needed to breathe," she whispered. "Everything feels like it's falling apart."
He finally turned to face her. His eyes weren't cold tonight—they were full of something else. Regret. Longing. Pain.
"You shouldn't trust them," he said quietly. "They fear what you are. They'll try to use you."
"And you?" she asked, stepping closer. "Do you fear me?"
He didn't answer immediately. Then, with a voice rough and low, he said, "I fear what you make me feel."
Aria's heart skipped. The tension between them surged, thick and magnetic. He was so close now. Close enough that she could feel the heat of him, the power radiating off his body.
"You saved me," she said softly. "Even when you didn't have to."
"I didn't do it for you," he growled. But his hand reached out, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "I did it because the thought of you dying made me lose control."
Her lips parted. "Why?"
His eyes locked with hers. "Because you are mine, Aria. And I can't fight it anymore."
Before she could think, his lips were on hers—fierce, claiming, hungry. The kiss wasn't soft or tender. It was fire and fury. A desperate clash of two cursed souls pulled by a bond neither of them chose.
When they broke apart, both breathless, his forehead rested against hers.
"We're doomed," she whispered.
"I know," he replied. "But I'd burn for you anyway."