Page 46 of Queen of Vengeance

His hands traced gentle patterns around the sigil burned into my shoulder as he pulled me closer.

He whispered soothing words in my ear.

Any nervousness I felt before melted away, replaced by a warmth spreading through my body.

He guided me patiently, his movements careful and considerate, and he never rushed.

We moved together, our breaths mingling and hearts beating in unison. The world around us blurred, leaving only the two of us now.

The anticipation built with each touch, each kiss, bringing us closer.

His hands were warm as they caressed my skin, and his whispered reassurances wrapped around me like a comforting embrace. I felt myself yielding to the sensations, letting go of my fears.

I could no longer tell what was around me or ahead of me. All I knew was that I was with Jax and happier than ever.

Just as the intensity peaked, we shared a final, deep kiss. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the warmth of his embrace and the promise of what would come. Then, everything dissolved into a comforting darkness, filled with the echoes of our shared passion.

18

JAX

Jax raised his head.

Sweat covered his sore body.

The bed of leaves he laid on felt itchy against his skin, causing him to sit up completely.

He looked over to an unconscious Lea. He had an inkling of guilt that trickled into his heart, but it wasn’t enough to stop him. He frowned, brushing her hair away from her face, hoping she would wake up. He knew he had to go through with it when she didn't.

With the heaviness that weighed on his heart, he brought himself to his feet and went to Lea’s house.

He stopped at a large Wisteria tree where he had folded his clothes and laid his bag on top. As he picked up his items, the sound of the illegal potions rattled at the bottom of his bag.

His heart sank into his stomach.

“Remember what you’re doing this for.” He seemed less convinced in his mind than he was before. “Rich and powerful men don’t have consciences.”

Once he reached Lea’s home, he sneaked in through her window, which was left slightly cracked open for her to return after their run. He quickly found her travel pack already laid out for her to take tomorrow morning.

Someone stitched old clothes together with care to make them.

“I bet her mother stitched that for her.” He quickly shoved the thought back down into the depths of his mind. He couldn’t afford to become sentimental now.

Jax reached into his bag and grabbed the two glass potion bottles with his hand. He watched the way their forbidden liquid swirled within. “Strange. This decision feels so monumental but so simple… So easy.”

He shoved the bottles into the bottom and wedged some of her clothes between them so they didn’t clank together and arouse her suspicion. As his devious hand slithered out of her bag, he felt her potion book sitting precariously in the middle. He pulled it out, running his fingers down the worn spine.

“How often did she open this and carefully write out every recipe? How painstakingly she must have worked to perfect her craft.”

Jax knew he had never been so dedicated to anything. Anything he wrote was just a poor imitation of what she was capable of. He hadn’t thoroughly thought through what would happen if she wasn’t there during the meeting with his potential potion’s agent.

His thumb pressed into the book's pages, prying it open to the middle.

“I need something foolproof… Something to show him I’m worth taking a risk on,” he whispered.

This was the greatest transgression he would commit against her—one he knew he wouldn’t recover from.

“She was right in the end. I became a monster just like my uncle.”

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