Page 68 of Shadowkissed

Kneeling in the middle of a containment sigil carved into the floor. Her hair hangs loose, obsidian and starlit. Her head jerks up the moment she sees me, and those violet eyes?—

“Dante?”

Her voice cracks like it’s the first time she’s spoken my name in years.

I don’t think. I just run to her.

“Don’t move,” I growl, crouching to disable the lines carved around her. My hands shake, my chest’s heaving, but I keep going. “I’m getting you out. We don’t have time.”

“Dante—” she grabs my wrist, her touch electric, like the bond’s lighting up between us faster than we can process it— “How did you find me?”

“You called me.”

Tears pool in her eyes, and I feel her magic stir, trying to reach mine. The connection threads tight between us again—raw, real,unbreakable.

But behind us, there’s a rumble through the court.

“Shit,” I mutter, “We have to move now. Before he finds out.”

“Listen, there are others?—”

I break the runes and the invisible barrier is gone. For a moment she stares at me as alarms begin to wail like dying stars overhead and I’m almost afraid she is going to refuse to go with me.

But then, Liora steps forward, throws her arms around my neck and crashes her lips into mine.

33

LIORA

Icrash into him like I’ve been falling for lifetimes.

No words. No hesitation. Just lips on lips and hands tangled in each other’s skin like we’re trying to carve the truth into our bones before the walls around us catch fire.

I taste sweat. Salt. The faint, familiar musk that’s only everhim. Dante. My wolf. My Guardian.

And gods, I didn’t know howstarvingI was until I kissed him.

It’s violent. Messy. I don’t care.

His arms crush me to him, one hand fisting in my hair, the other locking around my waist like he’s afraid I’ll disappear again if he blinks.

I kiss him harder just to make sure I don’t.

Then I feel it— The bond. Iterupts.

My magic slams into his like it’s been waiting for a crack in the wall. The glamour, the spell, the curse I cast on him—itshattersbetween us, burning into dust in a burst of violet light.

He gasps against my lips. Freezes. And I know he remembers everything.

His hand cups my cheek, thumb trembling as he pulls back just enough to look at me.

And the look in his eyes splits me wide open.

Like he’s seeing me for the first time again. But also like henever stopped.

“Liora,” he breathes, like it’s a confession and a prayer all at once.

I nod, barely holding myself together.

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