He stood, lifting me effortlessly before turning me around and bending me over the back of the couch. Bracing my hands against the cushions, I shivered as he traced my back, his touch firm and possessive.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” he said as he positioned himself at my entrance.
“It won’t be,” I replied, my voice shaky with anticipation. “Please, Raffaele.”
He thrust into me in one smooth motion, and I cried out, my body arching as he filled me completely. He stayed still for a moment, gripping my hips as we both adjusted to the overwhelming sensation.
“Gods, Vivian,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “So tight. So perfect.”
He began to move, his thrusts slow and deliberate at first, but quickly building in intensity. Each movement sent a jolt of pleasure through me that made my legs tremble. His hand slid around to my front, his fingers finding my clit again as he drove me closer and closer to the edge.
“Raffaele,” I moaned as I teetered on the brink. “I—I’m?—”
“Come for me,” he growled, his pace relentless. “Let me feel you.”
I clenched around him as my climax ripped through me. He followed moments later, his groan low and guttural as he buried himself deep inside me.
The firelight dancedacross the room, painting the walls in shades of gold and amber. I lay on the rug, my body tangled with Raffaele’s, the warmth of his skin pressed against mine. His fingers combed gently through my hair, a soothing rhythm that lulled me into a state of quiet contentment.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt peace.
But the gnawing truth just beneath the surface wouldn’t stay buried.
I stared at the ceiling, trying to push the thoughts away, but they crept in anyway, like shadows seeping through cracks in a door. I was the reason for all of this—the reason Raffaele’s powers had faltered, the reason his father had found me, the reason for the hell we’d both endured.
If I had resisted Izo’s siren song, his fucking kiss, none of this would have happened. I had transferred Izo’s will to Raffaele. That’s why his powers waned, why his illusions cracked, why his father sensed me. All of it traced back to me.
I swallowed hard, the guilt tightening around my throat like a noose. If Raffaele was going to be successful in whatever he was planning, he needed to know the whole truth.
Raffaele’s hand stilled in my hair. “What’s wrong?”
I turned to look at him, my heart constricting as I took in the peaceful expression on his face. How could he look at me like that? Like I wasn’t the monster who’d brought all of this on him?
“Vivian,” he said, his eyes searching mine. “Talk to me.”
I sat up and pulled the blanket around me as if it could shield me from what I had to say. The words stuck in my throat.
“I…” I clenched my fists. “I need to tell you something.”
He pushed himself up on one elbow, his gaze sharpening. “Go on.”
I forced the words out before I could stop myself. “It’s my fault. All of this.”
His brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
I took a shaky breath, tears burning in my eyes. “Izo. The siren from the Ashen Faction...”
Raffaele tensed. “How do you know who that is?”
“He lured me out to the sea with his song. I kissed him—or he kissed me. I don’t even know anymore. But his magic… it got into my head. I transferred his curse to you, Raffaele. That’s why your powers faltered. That’s why your father sensed me.”
I dared a glance at him, but his expression was unreadable. The bond between us was quiet, unnervingly so, and it only made my panic worse.
“I worked with him,” I blurted, the confession spilling out in a rush. “Behind your back. I was scared, and I was alone, and I just wanted to break free. I wanted to get back to Will. I thought—” I buried my face in my hands. “I thought I could escape all of this. But I didn’t think or care about what it would do to you.”
Tears streamed down my face, and still, he said nothing. The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.
“Please,” I begged. “Please say something. Anything.”
