When Selene's eyes opened, the world had changed.
The cold stone and blood-soaked floor of the battle were gone. In their place, velvet curtains swayed softly in the draft of a high, arched window. A chandelier glittered faintly overhead, its crystals scattering candlelight across dark walls etched with carvings she couldn't decipher. The bed beneath her was soft, far too soft, covered in crimson sheets that smelled faintly of smoke and roses.
She sat up abruptly, her head swimming.
"Easy."
The voice came from the shadows. Deep, commanding, too close.
Her heart stuttered. "Where—"
And then he stepped forward.
Raven.
The light from the candles caught him, revealing flawless pale skin, dark hair falling silk-smooth over his sharp jawline, eyes still glowing faintly crimson. Not a trace of the battle lingered on him—no blood, no wounds. Only perfection.
Her throat went dry.
He moved toward her with deliberate grace, and she realized something horrifying—her body reacted before her mind did. Her pulse leapt, her skin heated, and when he reached for her wrist, she didn't pull away fast enough.
His cool fingers closed around her, pressing gently against the racing vein beneath her skin.
Her breath hitched. The contact burned. Not from pain, but from the way his touch seemed to sink straight into her bloodstream, as if her pulse had been waiting for his hand.
"Your heart is too fast," he murmured, his voice low, edged with something dangerous. "It's reacting to me."
Selene yanked her hand back, cradling it against her chest. "Don't touch me."
His lips curved slightly, not quite a smile, more a cruel acknowledgment. "If I wanted to hurt you, Selene, I would have already. You should know that."
"Then let me go." Her voice broke, but she held his gaze, desperate to keep the fear from showing.
He tilted his head, studying her like she was a puzzle only he could solve. Then, slowly, he stepped closer, invading her space until his shadow fell over her.
Selene pressed back against the headboard, but there was nowhere to run.
Raven braced one hand on the bedpost beside her head, lowering himself until his face hovered inches from hers. His scent surrounded her—cold, smoky, tinged with something metallic.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her lips parting as his gaze dropped to them for the briefest moment.
Her skin prickled. Heat curled in her belly despite her terror.
She hated it. She hated him. But gods help her, she couldn't stop it.
"You feel it too," he murmured, his voice brushing her lips like a caress. "The bond pulling at you. It doesn't matter how much you fight it. Your body will always answer mine."
Her pulse jumped violently. She turned her face away, whispering hoarsely, "I'll never belong to you."
Raven's fingers lifted, brushing along her jaw, forcing her chin back toward him with infuriating gentleness.
"You already do."
For a terrifying, electric moment, Selene thought he might kiss her. Her heart slammed, her breath caught—
And then—
Knock. Knock.
The heavy sound on the door shattered the charged silence.
Raven's head snapped toward it, his eyes flaring with irritation. He lingered a heartbeat longer, close enough for her to still feel the ghost of his breath, before he pulled back.
"Stay here," he ordered, his voice clipped, dangerous again.
He swept toward the door, his coat trailing behind him like a shadow.
Selene pressed her hand to her pounding heart, trembling. The bond pulsed inside her chest, wild and unrelenting.
She hated him. She feared him.
And gods help her… she wanted him.
The door clicked shut behind Raven, his heavy footsteps fading into the hall. Selene stayed frozen where she sat, her pulse still wild from his nearness. Every part of her skin still burned where his hands had touched, as though his cold fingers had branded her.
She hated it. She hated him.
And yet… the way her body had betrayed her terrified her even more.
Selene stood quickly, pacing across the chamber, her palms pressed hard against her arms to stop the trembling. The silence pressed in again, suffocating and heavy. She had to think—she had to find a way out.
Her gaze darted to the door. Maybe—
"Running will only make me chase you faster."
The voice was Raven's—deep, velvet, far too close.
She spun. He was leaning against the carved bedpost, as though he had never left at all. Shadows clung to him, but his crimson eyes burned like coals in the dimness.
"You—you left—" Selene stammered.
His lips curved slightly, though no warmth reached his gaze. "I never said I was going far."
Before she could back away, he crossed the room in a blur, seizing her wrist. His grip was firm but not cruel, his touch cold enough to raise goosebumps along her arm.
"You're trembling," he murmured, studying her like she was something fragile. "Is it fear… or something else?"
Selene jerked against his hold. "It's disgust," she spat, though the way her breath caught betrayed her.
He stepped closer, the space between them collapsing until her back brushed the cold stone wall. His other hand came up to rest beside her head, trapping her in a cage of his body.
Selene's chest rose and fell in shallow gasps. He was too close. His scent—rich, metallic, like smoke and wine—wrapped around her, making her knees weaken.
"Liar," Raven whispered.
His face dipped lower, his lips hovering just above the delicate line of her throat. She felt his breath, cool and steady, ghosting over her skin.
Selene's fingers dug into his chest, desperate to push him away, but he didn't budge. Her heart pounded so hard she swore he could hear every frantic beat.
And then—his lips grazed her skin.
Not a kiss, not quite. Just the faintest brush that sent a shockwave down her spine.
Her knees nearly gave out.
"Stop—" she gasped, though the word held no strength.
"You don't want me to stop," Raven's voice was low, dangerous. "I can feel it—the bond pulls at both of us."
His fangs glinted, sharp and merciless as his mouth hovered against the fluttering pulse at her neck. For one suspended moment, Selene was certain he would sink them into her skin.
And gods help her, part of her wanted him to.
The door banged open.
Both of them froze.
A tall figure stood in the threshold, framed by the torchlight of the hall. His presence filled the room instantly, colder, sharper than Raven's.
"Raven," the stranger drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Still playing house with your prey?"
Raven snarled, the sound animalistic. He moved instantly, stepping in front of Selene, his arm flung protectively across her without a thought.
Selene peeked around him, her breath catching in her throat. The newcomer's eyes glowed faintly amber, not crimson, his smile sharp and cruel. His aura pressed down on the room, suffocating.
But it wasn't his appearance that froze her blood.
It was his voice.
That voice… she knew it.
It was impossible, but she had heard it before—soft, gentle, entirely human.
Her heart slammed in her chest as memory clawed at her.
"No," she whispered, her body going rigid. "It can't be…"
The vampire's smile widened as his gaze locked on her.
"Well, well. Hello again, Selene."