Her hand found its way to his chest, seeking the steady beat of his heart. He stared down at her, the ridge between his brows softening despite the shadows of doubt lingering behind his eyes.
“You’re not second to anyone,” Serenna insisted, her voice firmer now as she stepped fully into his space. But even as she said it, doubt whispered—what if he never could believe it? “You’re different from Fenn, but that doesn’t make you any less.”
Vesryn’s hand flexed near her waist, trapped between action and restraint. He didn’t reach for her—or retreat. His lips parted, the start of a protest or perhaps another apology, but no words came. For a breath, it looked like he wanted to argue, to say something—something final. His eyes darkened asthey searched hers, flickering between longing and uncertainty before he glanced away.
But Serenna was done standing by, done watching a male she cared for retreat further into himself when all she wanted was to pull him close.
Gathering her courage, she shed her gloves, craving the warmth of him beneath her touch. Serenna lifted a hand to his face, her magic stirring as her fingertips skimmed the edge of his jaw.
Vesryn’s breath stalled when she gently guided his gaze back to hers.
“I want to be with you,” she whispered, the vulnerability in his eyes stirring a pang in her chest.
Heart thundering in her ears, Serenna rose onto her toes. She leaned in, brushing her mouth against his, a fleeting whisper to test the line between them.
Vesryn stiffened at the contact, but he didn’t pull away.
Emboldened since he hadn’t withdrawn, Serenna slid her fingers through his hair. Pouring her affection into the kiss, she tugged him closer.
Gradually, whatever resistance the prince clung to dissolved, his breath shuddering against her lips. He seized her hips, hauling her flush against him, the warmth of his body melting into hers like sunlight thawing frost. Fingers digging into her waist, his mouth devoured hers as he deepened the kiss.
Releasing his hair, Serenna slipped her hand inside his parted cloak, tracing the taut planes of his chest. Even through his armor, she could feel the conflict coiled there, wound tight as though he held something back.
“Serenna—” His words caught as her hands coasted lower, skimming over the hard lines of his stomach.
She silenced him with another kiss, claiming him as her tongue tangled with his. Driven by the need to touch him, herpulse raced as she moved her hands with purpose. She wanted to learn him, discover what he hid beneath his layers, take a step back to find their footing before they moved forward.
Breaths growing uneven, a tremor ran through the prince as her palms wandered lower, landing against the front of his trousers. Vesryn’s hands jerked as if to intercept her, but Serenna snatched his wrists before he could.
“Don’t make me restrain you,” she threatened. To prove her point, she ignited her power. Shadows unfurled across her fingers, spiraling around his arms.
Lips parting, Vesryn’s breath hitched, his eyes heavy-lidded and glazed with hunger. But if he had any protest, she smothered it when she drove her mouth into his once more.
As the prince—the commander—he’d always held the control between them. Deferring to him, Serenna had let him keep that distance, too afraid to push beyond their former roles.
But they weren’t those people anymore. There was no court, no duty, no chains of expectation—only the heat between them and the pull of something neither could ignore.
He’d always protected her, not by shielding her from challenges, but by pushing her beyond the confines of her self-doubt. His care had never been gentle or simple—it was relentless, a force that demanded she find the strength to rise on her own.
And now, she felt his tension beginning to yield under her touch. Vesryn relaxed into her, lettinghertake the lead—for once. She needed him to feel it. That he mattered. That he was so much more than an exiled prince haunted by doubt.
Releasing her magic and his wrists, Serenna unfastened his belt. Vesryn stilled, exhaling slowly, his chest barely rising as the buckle slipped free.
Heat blooming low in her belly, Serenna sank to her knees on the snow-blanketed ground. She burned to feel him unravelbeneath her hands, to strip away the composure he always wore like armor.
The rigid length concealed by his leathers strained against the loosened confines, undeniable proof that he was already affected. As she traced the shape of him, the sound of her name rasped from his throat.
Serenna glanced up, caging a smile while savoring the bewilderment in his eyes—the rare moment where she’d caught him off guard. His fingers twitched, either torn between the urge to reach for her or to reclaim control.
Returning to his waist, Serenna unfastened the remaining laces and clasps on his trousers, her pulse fluttering as she wrestled the stubborn leathers down. The tight fit—which she normally appreciated for how it framed his form—was now an inconvenience. When she finally freed him from his armor, the sight of him stole her breath—smooth as ivory in the starlight, unyielding like sculpted marble.
And because she wasn’t wholly cruel, Serenna exhaled warm air into her palms before wrapping her fingers around him. Vesryn still shuddered, hands curling into fists at his sides.
With a deliberate slowness, she glided her fingers along his length, a teasing whisper of exploratory touch. She traced her nails lightly along the sensitive underside, savoring the sharp hiss that escaped from between his teeth. Serenna’s pulse skipped when his arousal jerked beneath her palm, a silent confession of want.
As she tightened her grip, Vesryn’s hips bucked forward and she stroked him harder. Basking in the power of that small surrender, she wanted more—wanted to strip away his restraint with every touch.
Confidence surging, Serenna leaned closer and took him slowly into her mouth. She sucked at the velvet crown, tracing the slit and tasting his need on her tongue.
