“That,” he said quietly, almost reverently, “is the bond.”
The sensation of his bond with her through him was incredible. I smiled in wonder and looked at him, starry-eyed, as if he had just given me the moon.
He smiled. “That’s magic—and you feel it. I know you do. You may not be able to access it yet, but it’s there. I sense your power Delilah. It is ancient and chaotic, and so does she.” He gestured to Zephyros, who nodded her head and huffed out some steam.
The bond made it easy to blur lines and the intimacy of it left me breathless—but not for the reasons he hoped. The bond let me feel him—raw and unshielded.
And I couldn’t give him what he was offering. Not because it wasn’t beautiful.
But because it didn’t belong to him. It belonged to Danny.
What captivated me about the bond was not Aurelius, it was the power in the connection. The magic. The way the world sharpened when the bond opened.
I wanted to understand it. To own it. To know why Zephyros recognized something in me that I hadn’t yet named.
“When she communicates with you, is it with words or… emotions?” I asked.
“Mostly emotions. Only once with words." He turned to look at me. "It was the day I found you.”
My eyes widened with burning curiosity. “What did she say?”
“Rexius and I were flying near the Sacred Forest when we heard your screams for help. I hesitated—whether I should get involved and risk the heir’s safety—but then Zephyros spoke to me with words for the very first time. She said, ‘Save her. She is the one. Save her.’”
He looked at me steadily. “And I believe she was right. You
arethe one. The one I want to spend my life with.”
His words crept over my skin like spiders. The certainty in his voice frightened me more than his fire magic ever could.
“Aurelius… I can’t. I’m going home to my husband soon,” I lied.
His face darkened, and when he spoke, his voice deepened. His head tipped to the side in that very fae manner, one that conveyed threat along with their beauty.
“Is that so? Then why do you fuck him? Why does your heart race around him when he treats you like shit? You deserve better, Delilah. We could fly away together right now—away from this place, this war. You wouldn’t have to go into Mount Orid. We could start a life together—a real one.”
“I… I know. I managed. It’s complicated.”
He let out a sharp laugh—humorless and wounded. “Complicated is what people call it when the truth makes them look ugly.” My chest hollowed as emotion rose like a tide.
“I… I love him, okay?” The confession burst out of me like a storm cloud finally breaking.
Silence hit. His silence was worse than his shouting. Aurelius went still, so still it was frightening.
I couldn’t tell him about the trigger. About the mate mark. About Danny. I couldn’t risk Titus losing his memories—or losing mine.
I could almost see his heart break. The golden shimmer of his skin dulled.
“It’s because of his power. His title. Isn’t it?” “No!” I argued.
He leaned in closer and spoke.
“Then explain why you wouldchooseto be undervalued.” His voice dropped again, sharpened. “Explain why you would crawl toward a male who only wants you because you make him feel strong.”
“Thewhydoes not matter, Aurelius. I’m not running away and leaving my friends to perish when I have the power to potentially stop this war.”
His eyes flashed. “Your intentions are noble,” he said bitterly, “but stop pretending they aren’t convenient.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded. “I’m risking my life for all of you. That is far from convenient for me!”
