Page 206 of Emylia

“Princess…”

Silence unfurled between us as Maalikai respected my inability to answer. I remained frozen. Broken. I didn’t know if I could survive the hurt that felt inevitable if I allowed myself to unapologetically love him.

But I knew—deep in my marrow—that I couldn’t keep fighting this.

Fighting the magnetic pull between us.

It was easier to sit here, teetering on the edge of limbo, where hope still breathed and heartbreak hadn’t yet struck.

Warmth encased my hand as Maalikai threaded his fingers through mine. The contact was a jolt to the soul—an electric awareness that snapped my eyes to his.

Azure orbs locked onto mine, stripping me bare. Whatever remained of my resolve disintegrated under that gaze.

Around us, the thick canopy of leaves held the world at bay. We were sealed inside our own quiet bubble. Our sanctuary.

“I should probably go.” I whispered.

“Please don’t.” His breath rose in visible tendrils, steam curling into the cool air like smoke.

I avoided his gaze, but I couldn’t ignore the way his presence pressed into my skin. The heat of him brushed my neck—not touching, but close enough that my body trembled with the ache of it.

Somehow, Maalikai kept finding his way through every wall I’d built, like they were nothing. And now he was here—so close—and I had nothing left to give but what was already his.

My soul was bare.

And it was his for the taking.

“Princess.”

His voice was rough silk, and when I met his gaze again, I was caught.

The depth of it. The hunger. Thehope. It was soul-consuming.

“You know how I feel about you,” he said. “So if you don’t feel the same... that’s fine. You just have to tell me.”

There was no arrogance in his voice. Only uncertainty. Maalikai’s vulnerability crackled in his eyes like bolts of blue lightning.

My eyes fluttered closed.

My mind could no longer fight what my heart had already surrendered to.

“I want you.” The words trembled from my lips, fragile but true.

“What?” His voice broke—soft, disbelieving. Like he couldn’t trust what he’d just heard.

“I want to know what it’s like to be with you. To be loved by you.”

“Of course.” The words were reverent. Immediate.

I looked down, a breath catching in my throat.

“But you need to know… this doesn’t mean I’ve made a choice. It still might be him.”

Maalikai nodded slowly.

No bitterness in his eyes. Only fire.

“As long as you give me a chance to show you what it feels like to be loved by me.”

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