I didn’t argue. The warmth of his embrace, the steady beat of his heart under my cheek, and the strength in his arms were impossible to resist. He carried me toward the front doors, where Eldora was waiting.
Her eyes darted between the two of us before settling on Raffaele. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I see your powers have returned,” she said, her gaze briefly flicking to me, veiled as a vampire prisoner once more under Raffaele’s magic.
“They have,” Raffaele replied, his tone clipped but calm. “We need time to rest and plan.”
Eldora inclined her head. “Of course. What can I do to assist?”
“Keep the house running smoothly,” he instructed, his grip on me tightening slightly. “And alert me if anything feels off. My illusions will be up and fortified, but vigilance is key.”
Eldora nodded. “It’s good to have you back, my lord.”
Raffaele carried me through the grand entrance. The familiarity of the estate—the sweeping staircases, the intricate woodwork, and the scent of aged stone—wrapped around me like a bittersweet memory.
With every step he took up the staircase, Raffaele’s magic rippled out, invisible to the eye but palpable in the air. I couldfeel the layers of protection he was weaving, the wards he was carefully placing to ensure no one could penetrate the sanctity of these walls. Our bond thrummed, stronger than ever before.
“Raffaele, you don’t have to?—”
“I do,” he interrupted. “This house will be safer than it’s ever been by the time I’m done.”
We reached his bedroom, and he nudged the door open with his foot, closing and locking it behind him. He laid me gently on the bed, his touch lingering as though he were afraid I might disappear.
“Stay here,” he murmured before turning away to pace the room. His hands moved through the air with practiced precision, weaving wards that only he could see. The energy in the room shifted with every pass of his hand, a palpable cocoon of safety and strength wrapping around us.
I watched him closely, the sharp lines of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders, and the way his brows furrowed with concentration. He was so serious, so brooding. Seeing him like this tugged at my heart.
Minutes passed, and finally, he sank onto the bed beside me. Before I could stop myself, I fell into his arms, my composure crumbling.
“I’m so sorry,” I choked out, burying my face in his chest as tears streamed down my cheeks. “For everything. For hurting you, for torturing you—I tried so hard to fight against Izo, but I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t?—”
“Shh,” he whispered, pulling me into his lap and running his fingers through my hair. “You don’t have to apologize. None of this was your fault.”
“But it feels like it was,” I sobbed. “I should’ve been stronger?—”
“Vivian.” His voice was firm but gentle, a balm to my frayed nerves. He tipped my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.His eyes, dark and intense, held no anger, only love. “You were strong. Stronger than I ever could have been. You were willing to kill yourself rather than harm me. Do you know what that means?”
I shook my head, tears still blurring my vision.
“It means you love me,” he said softly, almost as if the words surprised him. “I’ve never experienced love before. I don’t deserve you. I’ve never loved anyone, not really. Not until you.”
His confession took my breath away, my heart swelling to the point of pain. “Raffaele…” I whispered, my hand trembling as I touched his face. “I love you. More than I ever thought I was capable of loving someone. I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”
“You won’t,” he promised. “You’ll never lose me. Not now, not ever.”
And then he kissed me. Tenderly. Reverently. As though I were the most precious thing in his world. The kiss deepened, and I melted into him, every fiber of my being drawn to his. In that moment, nothing else existed—no pain, no fear, no memories of the horrors we’d endured. Only us.
“You’re everything to me, Vivian,” he said quietly.
“I believe you,” I whispered, and for the first time in a long while, I truly did.
51
RAFFAELE
Vivian’s legs were draped over mine, her arms looped around my neck. Her lips were soft and warm against mine, moving slowly, as if we had all the time in the world. The world outside my bedroom didn’t exist anymore—just her, here, in my arms.
I cradled her closer, one hand resting on her lower back, the other cupping her jaw as I tilted her face, deepening the kiss. The taste of her consumed me, sweet and intoxicating, and I couldn’t stop the low groan that rumbled in my chest. She answered with a soft sigh, her fingers threading into my hair as she pressed herself against me, her body melting into mine.
Her lips parted, and I slid my tongue into her mouth. There was no urgency, no desperation. Only the steady, unrelenting pull between us. I kissed her like she was my salvation because she was. She was everything I never thought I could have, everything I’d been too blind to see I needed until it was almost too late.
