I moved toward the door and there stood Magnur, filling the entire doorframe like some beautiful, suited colossus. His eyes found mine immediately over Ziggy's head, softening from their usual intensity to something warm and private. The thread between us vibrated with pleasure at the proximity, making my breath catch.
"Hi," I said, stupidly.
"Hello," he replied, his voice that same deep rumble that made my insides turn to jelly.
Ziggy looked between us, clearly enjoying the obvious electricity. "Well!" he announced, far too loudly. "I'm Ziggy, best friend, emotional support, and general pain in the ass." He extended his hand to Magnur, who engulfed it in his without hesitation.
"Magnur," he replied, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, the pleasure is all mine, believe me." Ziggy's grin was positively wolfish as he gave Magnur a blatant once-over. "Jade has told me so much about you. Well, your more... impressive qualities, anyway."
I closed my eyes briefly, mortified. "Ziggy..."
"What?" He feigned innocence. "I just meant your height. And your muscles. And your penthouse. What did you think I meant?"
Magnur chuckled. "I'm sure I can guess."
Ziggy winked at me, then grabbed his messenger bag from the couch. "Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds to it. Take care of my girl, yeah?" His tone remained light, but I caught the genuine concern beneath the teasing.
"I intend to," Magnur said.
Ziggy seemed satisfied with this. He squeezed past Magnur but not before shooting me a thumbs up. Then the door closed behind him, and suddenly Magnur and I were alone in my apartment. The thread between us pulsed with contentment at our reunion, but beneath it, I felt the weight of what I needed to tell him pressing down on me like a stone.
"You look troubled," Magnur observed, his eyes tracking over my face with careful attention.
I took a deep breath, gesturing toward my small living room. "Can you sit?" I asked. "There's something I need to tell you."
A flicker of concern crossed his features, but he nodded, moving to my couch and lowering himself onto it. I perched on the edge of the coffee table across from him, our knees almost touching in the limited space.
"Before we go any further," I began, my heart hammering against my ribs, "there's something about my past you should know. Something that might affect...us."
His expression remained open, though I noticed his hands flatten against his thighs, as if preparing himself for whatever blow might come.
"I was in a relationship," I continued, forcing myself to maintain eye contact. "For three years. With a man named Trevor. It ended badly, It started like most toxic relationships do, wonderfully. He was attentive, seemingly supportive, alwaystelling me how lucky he was to have found me." I laughed, the sound hollow even to my own ears. "Then it changed. Slowly, so slowly I barely noticed at first."
My fingers twisted together in my lap as the familiar shame crept up my spine, shame that I hadn't seen it coming, that I'd allowed it to happen, that I'd stayed as long as I did.
"When I finally left, he didn't take it well. Started calling constantly, showing up at my workplace, sending gifts I never asked for. I changed my number, moved apartments, got a restraining order." I took a deep breath. "But he keeps finding ways to contact me. New phone numbers, email addresses."
I reached for my phone, unlocking it to show him the screenshot I'd saved earlier. "This came today. After you dropped me off."
"He was here," Magnur said, his voice dangerously soft. "This morning."
It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. "Yes. He must have been watching when you dropped me off."
"Has he threatened you directly? Physical harm?"
I shook my head. "Not explicitly. It's always... implied. Vague enough that police can't do much." I gestured at the phone. "But this is escalating. The photo, calling you a monster..."
"I am a monster," Magnur said quietly. "But I suspect his definition and mine differ significantly."
I reached out, laying my hand on his knee. "I wanted you to know. Before this goes any further between us. I didn't want to hide it or pretend everything's fine when clearly it isn't."
His hand covered mine, warmth enveloping my fingers. "Thank you for trusting me with this."
When he looked up from our joined hands, the expression on his face made my breath catch. His eyes had darkened to a crimson so deep it was nearly black, glowing with an internal light that seemed to pulse with his heartbeat. His featuresremained perfectly composed, but the energy radiating from him had shifted into something ancient and predatory.
"I have a... complicated relationship with those who attempt to control others," he said. "Those who use fear to manipulate. Those who believe they own another person's will."
