He followed moments later, his whole body going rigid, a sound tearing from his throat that was more beast than man. His cock pulsed inside her as his knot expanded, hot and urgent, and she pulled him closer as the tremors slowly subsided.
They stayed like that for a long time, wrapped around each other, their heart rates gradually returning to normal. She pressed her face against his neck and breathed in his wild, spicy scent.
“I love you,” she whispered.
His arms tightened around her. “And I love you. Whatever happens tomorrow, whatever your aunt tries to do—remember that. Remember that you are not alone.”
She closed her eyes, letting the words settle into her bones. Tomorrow would bring the board meeting, and Marina’s machinations, and the battle for control of everything her father had built. But tonight, in this moment, she had exactly what she needed.
She had him. She had hope. And she had a strength she’d never known she possessed.
It would have to be enough.
CHAPTER 25
The doors to the board room gleamed like polished obsidian, their surfaces etched with the Duvain family crest—a rising phoenix surrounded by flames. He had spent the morning memorizing the building’s layout, cataloging exits and security positions, but this symbol held his attention now. Fire and flight. Destruction and rebirth.
Fitting,he thought,for what’s about to happen.
Ember stood beside him, transformed from the woman who’d shared his bed last night into something altogether more formidable. Her gown was the deep crimson of arterial blood, fitted close to her body before sweeping outward in a cascade of fabric that whispered against the marble floor. Gold thread traced patterns along the bodice—more phoenixes, their wings unfurling across the curve of her ribs. Her pale hair had been swept up and secured with pins that caught the light like captured stars, and her mother’s necklace sparkled around her throat.
She looked like a queen preparing for war.
He wore the colors she’d chosen for him, midnight blue shot through with silver, the Duvain family colors. The fabric was finer than anything he’d worn in years, tailored to accommodate his broad shoulders and long limbs, but still allow freedom of movement. A deliberate choice on her part, he suspected. She wanted him armed in more than just clothing.
“Ready?” she asked without looking at him.
“Are you?”
A smile curved her painted lips. “I’ve been ready my entire life. I just didn’t know it until now.”
She reached for the door controls, and Rykan took his position at her left shoulder—close enough to intervene if necessary, far enough back to signal that she was the one in command. The doors slid open with a soft hiss.
The board room beyond was a cathedral of corporate power. Soaring windows offered a panoramic view of Port Cantor’s gleaming spires, sunlight streaming through in golden shafts that illuminated the long table at the room’s center. Thirteen chairs surrounded it—twelve of them occupied by men and women in various states of anticipation.
The thirteenth chair sat at the table’s head. Marina Duvain occupied it like a throne.
Ember’s aunt wore silver today, her gown a deliberate counterpoint to Ember’s crimson. Her hair was swept back in an elegant twist, diamonds glittering at her throat and ears. She looked up as they entered, and for just a moment—a fraction of a heartbeat—he saw something flicker across her composed features.
Surprise,he decided.She didn’t expect Ember to come here first. Didn’t expect her to come at all, perhaps.
The expression vanished so quickly he might have imagined it, replaced by a warm smile that didn’t reach Marina’s cool blue eyes.
“Ember, darling.” Marina rose gracefully, moving towards them with arms outstretched. “We were so worried about you. When we heard about the accident?—”
“Aunt Marina.” Ember’s voice was pleasant but firm as she sidestepped the attempted embrace. “Thank you for your concern. As you can see, I’m quite recovered.”
She continued past her aunt without pausing, her stride confident and unhurried as she made her way towards the head of the table. The board members watched in varying degrees of surprise and calculation, and he noted each reaction, filing them away for later analysis.
The thin man with the silver beard leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed. Hostile. Probably one of Marina’s creatures. The heavyset woman beside him shifted uncomfortably, her gaze darting between Ember and Marina. Uncertain. Could go either way. A younger man at the far end of the table smiled slightly, something like satisfaction flickering across his features. A potential ally.
She reached the head of the table and stopped, looking down at the empty chair—the chair Marina had vacated to greet her.
“I believe this seat belongs to me,” she said calmly.
The room went absolutely quiet. Even the soft hum of the building’s environmental systems seemed to hold its breath.
Marina’s smile remained fixed in place, but he saw the tension in her shoulders, the slight tightening around her eyes. “Of course, darling. I was merely keeping it warm for you.” She gestured gracefully. “But are you certain you’re feeling up to this? After everything you’ve been through, no one would think less of you for taking time to recover. I’m more than happy to continue managing affairs until?—”
