Liora awoke to the soft rustle of wind brushing against her cheeks, warm sunlight filtering through the canopy above. Her head rested against Killian's chest, and for a fleeting moment, the world felt still. Safe. Almost normal.
Then she remembered everything.
The glowing circle. The revelation about Killian's blood. The ancient curse that ran deeper than she'd ever imagined. And most of all—the kiss.
Her fingers twitched slightly against his chest, and she felt his heart skip a beat beneath her touch. His arms were still wrapped around her, protective even in sleep. Liora slowly lifted her head, taking in his strong jaw, his dark lashes resting against his cheeks, and the faint frown that seemed to live on his lips even when he wasn't awake.
He was beautiful. And dangerous. And hers… at least for now.
As if sensing her thoughts, Killian stirred beneath her, his eyes fluttering open. Golden. Piercing. And for a second, they weren't filled with shadows—they were filled with her.
"You're awake," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
"So are you," he replied, voice husky from sleep. "How do you feel?"
Liora sat up slowly, brushing twigs from her hair. "Confused. A little dizzy. And overwhelmed."
He nodded solemnly. "That's normal… after what you did."
"What I did?" she frowned. "You mean… the barrier?"
"You broke through magic that's held for centuries, Liora," Killian said, sitting up beside her. "That wasn't just instinct. It was power—raw, untrained, but undeniably ancient."
She swallowed. "So it's real then. Everything. The curse. The prophecy."
"Yes," he murmured, his fingers brushing a leaf from her shoulder. "And you're at the center of it."
They sat in silence, the weight of their destiny pressing down like thick fog. Then Liora looked at him, truly looked, and asked the question that had been burning in her chest.
"Who are you, Killian? Really?"
He stiffened, eyes clouding over. "I told you. I'm a protector."
"That's not enough. Not anymore."
He ran a hand through his dark hair, eyes scanning the forest as if hoping the trees would answer for him. Then he sighed.
"My full name is Killian Draven. I'm not just a protector—I'm the heir of the Blood Pact. My family was bound to yours generations ago, when the curse first began. We were tasked with watching over the chosen one. The 'cursed bride,' they used to call her. Except…"
"Except this time, the cursed bride is me," Liora finished for him, heart pounding.
He nodded. "And I was supposed to keep my distance. Never get involved. Never fall in love."
Her breath caught. "Fall in…?"
Killian looked away, jaw tight. "It wasn't supposed to happen. But it did."
The silence between them crackled. The air around them shifted with unspoken confessions. Liora's heart beat faster, unsure if it was from fear, or from the dangerous pull she felt every time he looked at her like she was the only thing that could save him.
"You love me?" she asked, voice trembling.
"I didn't want to," Killian said quietly. "But I do."
Liora's lips parted, but no words came. Her body leaned forward before her mind could catch up, and when their lips met again, it wasn't soft and exploratory like the last time. It was wild. Desperate. Real.
And it felt like the world tilted on its axis.
When they finally broke apart, breathless and dazed, Killian rested his forehead against hers.
"I don't care about the rules anymore," he murmured. "I won't lose you."
Tears pricked Liora's eyes. "Then don't."
But just as the moment settled, the air shifted again—colder, sharper. A sudden gust of wind swept through the forest, carrying with it the faint sound of chanting.
Killian jumped to his feet. "No…"
"What is it?" Liora asked, rising with him.
"They've found us."
A pulse of dark magic slammed into the clearing, sending shockwaves through the trees. Figures emerged from the shadows—robed, hooded, faceless. The Followers of the Binding.
Killian stepped in front of her, arms outstretched. "Stay behind me."
But Liora's fingers glowed again—this time with purpose.
"No," she said, stepping forward. "I'm done hiding."
The lead follower raised a hand, dark mist coiling from his palm. "You were warned, Killian Draven. The curse must remain untouched. The girl must die."
"Over my dead body," Killian growled.
"So be it."
The ground trembled as the first spell launched. Killian leapt, intercepting it with a shield of light, but the impact sent him flying backward. Liora screamed his name, and something inside her snapped.
Her veins ignited with light.
Her hands lifted on their own.
And the forest answered.
Trees bent. The earth cracked. Magic erupted from her like a storm breaking loose, and in a blinding flash of gold, the entire clearing was bathed in her power.
The robed figures screamed as the light seared their illusions. One by one, they vanished into mist, unable to withstand the force of her awakening.
Then everything went still.
Liora collapsed to her knees, panting.
Killian staggered toward her, blood trickling from a cut on his brow. He dropped beside her, gathering her in his arms.
"You… you did that," he said in awe.
"I don't know how," she gasped.
"You don't need to," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "You just saved us."
Liora clung to him, trembling. "What happens now?"
Killian's eyes turned somber. "Now we run. Because after what they just saw, they'll send more."
She looked into his eyes. "Then we fight. Together."
A slow smile spread across his lips, dangerous and proud. "Gods help them then. Because I'm not letting anyone touch you."
As the sun rose higher and the shadows began to recede, Killian and Liora stood side by side, hand in hand.
The war had truly begun.
Liora sat still, her heart thudding as she tried to absorb everything Killian had just confessed. The air between them was charged, not with tension anymore, but something far more dangerous—hope. It was the kind of hope that could either free her soul or destroy it.
"You knew me before I even knew myself," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You saw me. You chose me."
Killian reached out again, this time slower, more tenderly. His fingers brushed her cheek, and she didn't flinch away. "I didn't just choose you, Liora. I belong to you. My magic… my wolf… my soul—they've been drawn to you since the moment I laid eyes on you. That night in the woods wasn't an accident. It was fate dragging us into each other's orbit."
Liora's eyes glistened with a sheen of tears. Not sadness—but the overwhelming crash of emotions too long buried. "And the curse?"
He looked away for a moment, his jaw tight. "The curse is tied to my family's bloodline… to my very existence. It awakened fully the night I touched you. Because only true love can trigger the final phase."
"What happens when the final phase is complete?"
Killian met her gaze with that tortured intensity again. "I die… or I live forever. There's no in-between. But if I live, it's only if you… love me back."
Silence. Not cold or awkward, but sacred. Liora's breath caught in her throat. Her emotions were colliding—fear, awe, longing, disbelief.
"But how do you know I'm the one?" she asked shakily.
He smiled, and it was so painfully soft it made her want to cry. "Because even when I lost control, even when the curse tried to twist me into a monster, your voice brought me back. You're my anchor, Liora. I don't need a prophecy to tell me what my heart already knows."
Liora's lips trembled. She wanted to believe. God, she wanted to believe so badly.
"Then why does it still feel like I could lose everything?"
"Because loving someone that much always feels like a risk," Killian murmured. "But I'll take that risk every damn day if it means I get even one more second by your side."
The words cracked something open inside her. Without thinking, she closed the distance, her arms wrapping around him tightly. Killian let out a quiet breath—almost a whimper—and held her just as fiercely.
It wasn't just a hug. It was a promise.
She pulled back slightly, and this time she reached up and touched his cheek. "Then let's break this curse together."
His eyes widened slightly, then lit up with a storm of emotions. "You mean it?"
"I do," she whispered, a soft smile playing on her lips. "If fate brought us here, then we owe it to ourselves to see this through. No more running. No more doubt."
Killian cupped her face in both hands, like she was something precious. "Liora, I swear, I'll protect you with every piece of me—even the cursed ones."
She leaned in, her forehead resting against his. "Then let's see how powerful love really is."
In the distance, a wind began to stir—the magic in the air responding to the shift in their bond. For the first time, the curse wasn't pulling them apart.
It was pulling them together.