Page 86 of Wings of Shadow
“Baby girl, please understand.” My fingers brush against her jaw, tilting her chin so she’s forced to meet my gaze. “I bear your brother no ill will. But my lineage, and the clans under my protection, will bow to no one’s rule…” My touch trails slowly down her arm, reverent, before it falls away, “…except mine.”
The words hang in the air, heavy and final. I watch her absorb them, the rise and fall of her chest quickening. Her fingers curl tighter into the fabric as though it could shield her from the inevitable.
She pulls back slightly, a hand rising to her throat in a nervous gesture. Her eyes dart around the room, searching the shadows for answers. When she speaks again, her voice trembles.
“My brother is furious,” she says, the phrase tumbling out in a rush. “He’s connecting dots I never knew existed.”
My jaw clenches. “And what does he think I’m up to?” I ask, my tone rough.
She hesitates, eyes dropping to the rug. Her fingers twist the blanket. “He thinks you’re playing a dangerous game. That you’re using me to get to him.”
I curse under my breath. Of course, he would see it that way. “And you?” I ask, my gaze sharp. “Do you believe that?”
Her eyes meet mine—luminous with uncertainty and pain. “I don’t know what to believe.”
The quiet admission lands like a knife in my ribs.
I pull her into me, burying my face in her damp hair. “You know me better than that, mein Herz.” My hands roam over her back, soothing, claiming. “I would set the world ablaze for you, and I’d burn it twice if anyone dared to touch you.”
She stills in my arms, her breath catching, but she doesn’t pull away. Instead, her fingers clutch the blanket, her knuckles pale beneath the fabric. For a moment, her gaze locks with mine—searching, uncertain—but it’s gone just as quickly.
Her voice is a whisper, raw and heavy. “He’s adamant that I stay away from you.” The words settle between us like ashes after a fire, soft but suffocating. “You should’ve heard him, Kaisner. I’ve never heard him so angry. So… suspicious.”
“As he should be,” I confess, my voice low. Then, seeing the worry in her eyes, I quickly add, “But let’s not drag politics into this conversation, my love. Not now.”
She draws her knees closer, wrapping the blanket tighter, a shield against more than just the cold. Her gaze is distant, fixed on the crackling flames. Shadows flicker across her face, highlighting the tension in her jaw, the fear in her eyes.
“I’m afraid,” she breathes, barely audible beneath the storm. “Afraid of what might happen if he finds out about us. Hours ago, I wanted nothing more than to scream to the world that we’re together. But now?—”
I shift closer, the warmth of the fire against my skin, hardly noticed. I reach out, brushing her damp hair from her face, my fingers lingering longer than I should.
“Come here,” I murmur, my breath warm against her cool skin. “I won’t bite... not unless you beg.” The words rumble through me, teasing, meant to comfort, to pull her back from the edge of despair.
She doesn’t move at first. Then, slowly, a reluctant smile flickers across her lips—fleeting, but real. She moves toward me, the blanket slipping as I pull her into my arms. The moment teeters between fear and desire, the storm outside and the storm within.
I hold her tight, sensing the tension in her body, the depth of her worry. But here, in this small pocket of warmth and shadow, I’ll shield her from it all. If only for tonight.
Nikolaas’ suspicions are dangerously close to the truth, even if he doesn’t know the half of it. “Listen to me, Clarissa. Whatever happens, I won’t let anyone come between us. Not Nikolaas, not anyone. Do you understand?”
I capture her mouth in a tender kiss, my hands roaming over her back, her hips, relishing the contact of her. “Every moment at that gala was torture,” I murmur against her lips. “Seeing you, but not being able to touch you, to hold you…”
She sighs, her hands fisting in my hair, holding me close. “I know,” she whispers, a tremor in her voice. “I could feel your eyes on me all night. It took everything I had not to run to you, to hell with appearances.”
“What we have…” I begin, warm and reassuring. “It’s worth fighting for. I know it’s hard now, but I promise you, we’ll find a way. Whatever is to come, we’ll see it through.”
I look into her eyes, seeing the love, the fear, the desperate hope reflected in them. And in that moment, I vow to move heaven and earth to keep her safe, to devise a plan for us to be together openly.
Whatever it takes. Whatever price I have to pay. For her. For us.
I pull back slightly, cupping her face. “You were magnificent tonight, you know. The way you commanded that room, your poise, your grace... I’ve never been more proud. Or more frustrated that I couldn’t show it.”
A small smile plays at her lips. “It was harder than I thought it would be, pretending to be just acquaintances. Every time someone mentioned your name, I wanted to shout that you were mine.”
“As did I,” I growl, pulling her closer. “No more pretending. No more hiding... Soon, my love, we’ll show the world what we are to each other.”
She nods, eyes shining with unshed tears. “Promise?”
“I swear it,” I vow, sealing the promise with another kiss.
