“You don’t even know me, Kieran.” The words tumble out, defensive and desperate. “I told you, I don’t want to be a replacement for—”
“Don’t.” He cuts me off, his grip on my face tightening just slightly. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”
I try to look away, but he won’t let me.
“I am in love with you,” he says, each word deliberate and fierce. “With Daciana. Not some ghost from the past. Not some echo of who you used to be. You.”
“But you haven’t even—You haven’t been around—”
“I didn’t have to stick to you around the clock to get to know you,” he says, and his expression softens. “I’ve been watching you from the moment I arrived here. Learning about you. Falling for you.”
My heart shudders.
“I know you work and train twice as hard as the other soldiers,” he continues, and there’s admiration in his voice now. “You’re always trying to prove that you’re just as good as your peers. Better, even. You push yourself until you’re exhausted because you think you have something to prove.”
I swallow hard. My throat feels tight.
“I know that you laugh when you’re with your friends, and you look like the happiest person in the world. Your whole face lights up, and for a moment, all that weight you carry just…disappears.” His thumb traces my bottom lip. “I know you dislike olives and will add tomatoes to everything. Even things that definitely shouldn’t have tomatoes.”
My breath hitches. He noticed. He actually noticed all of that.
“I fell for you,” he says quietly. “Not who you were in another life, but who you are now. The woman who refuses to back down from a challenge. Who protects her friends fiercely. Who pretends she’s fine when she’s breaking apart on the inside because she doesn’t want to burden anyone.”
Tears burn in my eyes. I try to blink them back, but they spill over anyway.
“You are not a substitute for anyone,” he says firmly. “You are Daciana. And I love Daciana. I love your stubbornness and your strength and the way you snap at me when I’m being an idiot. I love how you care so deeply about everything that you are willing to hurt yourself trying to fix it all. I love—”
“Stop,” I whisper, but there’s no force behind it.
“I’ll fight alongside you this time,” he says, and I hear the promise in his voice. “I’ll be there. I’ll be your shield when you need it and your sword when you don’t. But I can’t lose you to anybody else, Daciana. I can’t watch you smile at Leon or any other man the way I want you to smile at me. I can’t—”
I don’t let him finish. I yank him toward me and kiss him.
It’s just as desperate as the first time, yet different somehow. There’s acceptance in it now. Permission. Everything I’ve been holding back for weeks comes pouring out in this moment. My hands fist in his shirt, pulling him closer, and he responds immediately. His arms wrap around me, crushing me against his chest, and he kisses me back like he’ll die if he doesn’t.
My wolf howls in triumph, the bond blazing between us so intensely that I gasp against Kieran’s mouth. He feels it, too; I know he does because he makes a sound that’s almost a growl and holds me impossibly closer.
When we finally break apart, both of us out of breath, he rests his forehead against mine.
“I love you,” he whispers. “I love you, Daciana.”
And the way he says my name, I believe him.
His hands slide down to my thighs, and suddenly, he’s lifting me. My legs wrap around his waist instinctively, and he pins me against the wall. The position eliminates any space that existed between us, and I can feel the heat of him through the thin fabric of my nightclothes.
He tears his mouth away from mine, but only to trail kisses along my jaw, down my neck. His breath is hot against my skin.
“I’m tired of fighting this bond,” he says, his voice rough and raw. “I’m tired of pretending that I don’t want you, that I don’t need you.”
My fingers thread through his hair, tugging his head back so I can see his face. His eyes are dark, pupils dilated, and his gaze is so wild and possessive that it makes my stomach flip.
“Be sure,” I manage to say, though my voice is shaky. “Be sure, Kieran, because I will not accept your regret afterward.”
The words sound harsh, but I mean them. I can’t do this—can’t give myself to him completely—only to have him pull away again. To have him look at me with remorse in his eyes, wishing he’d maintained his distance, wishing he’d stuck to his plan to keep me safe by staying away from me.
His hands tighten on my thighs, holding me even more securely against him.
“I could never regret you,” he says, and the conviction in his voice makes my chest grow warm. “Never, Daciana. I’ve been afool. I thought I could protect you by not giving in to this, but all I’ve done is hurt us both. I never wanted to hurt you.”
