He leans in, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from him. His eyes search mine, intense and unyielding. Right before his lips touch mine, he murmurs, low and commanding, “You belong to me now, entirely.”
My heart hammers—not in fear, not in hesitation, but in something far more urgent. Need. Want. Desire. It claws at me from the inside, betraying all the anger and defiance I’ve tried to hold onto these past days.
When his lips finally brush against mine, it’s a shock, a slow-burning ignition that seems to set every nerve in my body alive. And for the first time since all of this began, I don’t fight it. I don’t pull away. I can’t. I want it, all of it, even if I can’t admit it yet.
Chapter 12 – Lev
I stand beside Sasha at the head table, arm brushing hers every so often, feeling the subtle heat of her skin through the fabric of our clothes. The ceremony is over, the vows exchanged, but the weight of it—her, the ring, the promise—still hums through me like electricity.
Guests approach, offering congratulations. I shake hands, nodding politely, but my attention never strays far from her. Every movement she makes, every laugh, every tilt of her head—it’s a constant pull I can’t ignore.
The brunch is orderly, quiet, with only the closest Rusnaks in attendance. The conversation is polite, measured, but I barely hear it. My mind is half on the arrangement of the tables, half on the way she keeps her chin lifted, her eyes scanning the room.
I can feel the tension coiled in her, tight and deliberate, but I also see the way she straightens her shoulders, head held high as every eye in the room studies her. She is not meek. Not broken. Not afraid. And I love that about her.
My gaze lingers on her, tracing the lines of her dress, the way the gold catches the morning light and makes her skin glow. It’s audacious, unlike any traditional wedding dress, but it suits her—bold, untamed, entirely herself. I can’t take my eyes off her. Even surrounded by the Rusnaks, the power, the danger, she is entirely captivating, and mine.
A slow, dark satisfaction coils in me. She may try to challenge me, may act defiant, may try to hold back—but nothing, nothing, will diminish what she is now: my wife. My possession. And I will enjoy every second of reminding her of it.
She turns her head and catches me staring.
“What?” she snaps softly, chin tilting, eyes flashing like she’s trying to read me.
I slip a hand around her waist, fingers firm on the gold fabric as I pull her a little closer. My mouth lowers to her ear, my breath grazing her skin. She shudders before she can stop herself, a tremor that runs right through her body.
“You look gorgeous,” I whisper, my voice a low growl meant for her alone.
Even as she rolls her eyes at me, color rushes to her cheeks, blooming bright against her skin. She pushes me away, a small shove, trying to keep her composure in front of all these people. But I’ve already seen the blush, already felt the tremor. It’s enough to make my lips curve in a slow, dark smile.
A deep, familiar voice speaks beside me.
“Congratulations, brother.”
I turn, and my mood lifts even more. Roman. Roman Rusnak, my cousin, my brother in everything but blood.
I take in his features, his hazel eyes, his brooding face, same solid frame, the faint lines around his mouth that weren’t there a few years ago.
I’d sent him an invite but thought nothing of it, absolutely certain he wouldn’t come. We only see him once a year, sometimes not at all. He’s big on hiding away, and we all know it has to do with the scars from his time in the military. He doesn’t talk about it, and we don’t push. But whenever he shows up, we’re happy. Like I am now.
“Roman!”
I hug him with one arm, still keeping the other snug around Sasha’s waist. Roman hugs me back, firm as ever, and pats my back.
“I couldn’t miss it,” he says, voice low but warm. “Had to come see which special woman managed to hold Lev down. Thought you’d die a bachelor.”
I laugh, genuine and unguarded. “You’re not the only one who thought so.”
I turn to Sasha. “This is Roman, my cousin.”
Roman smiles faintly, extending a hand. “Sasha.”
She takes it, poised but a little wary, and they exchange polite greetings. I watch her eyes flick over him with a smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, Roman.”
“Same.” He nods at her before turning back to me, just as Sasha’s attention is taken by another guest.
“Just got back from Eastern Europe. Everyone there misses you, Lev.”
