Windsor's POV
His embrace caught me completely off guard. These weren't the arms of someone trying to possess me or claim ownership over my body. The fire that usually sparked between us was absent. Instead, Zion's hold felt desperate, like he was struggling to keep himself from crumbling into pieces.
My body responded before my mind could catch up. I wrapped my arms around him in return.
I moved with deliberate care. My hands found their way around his waist, and I felt him tense when his breathing caught against the curve of my neck. In that vulnerable moment, I saw past the intimidating facade everyone else feared. He wasn't the untouchable force that others believed him to be.
"What are you doing?" I breathed against his shoulder, feeling the rhythmic pulse of his heartbeat.
He exhaled slowly, somehow understanding my unfinished question. Then he drew back just far enough to meet my eyes directly.
"What brought you to that place?" he asked.
