Page 134 of Claiming Pretty

“I only ever wanted you to wear diamonds,” he said softly, wistful. “But…”

With a flick of his thumb, the ruby shifted aside, revealing a tiny, sharp pin beneath it.

My breath caught as he continued. “It’s dosed with the deadliest poison from one of the professor’s vials. A mixture of wolfsbane, oleander, and Belladonna, which he called The Dark Queen.”

I stared at the lethal mechanism, the weight of the ring suddenly unbearable.

Ty pressed the stone back into place, his expression unreadable. “They’ll be incapacitated within ten seconds and dead in thirty. But it’s for one use only. One attacker. So choose wisely.”

I touched the cool band of the ring, letting its significance sink in. My voice came out low, almost detached as I vowed, “It’s for the High Lord…”

The words escaped before I could stop them. “Or if I’m taken alive…me.”

“No.” Ty’s sharp tone snapped my gaze to his. Hisexpression darkened with horror, his hands tightening on my arms. “You can’t— Ava, don’t even think it.”

“I know more than anyone how depraved they are,” I said, my voice rising. “I’d rather die than let them—than go through that again.”

“If this goes wrong—ifanythinggoes wrong—” Ty said, his voice firm and unyielding, his grip tightening on my arms, “Ciaran and I will do whatever it takes to make sure you survive.”

“Don’tyoudare talk like that,” I snapped, cutting him off before he could say more.

The idea of him and Ciaran plotting behind my back, deciding that their lives were expendable to save mine, sent a jolt of fear and fury through me.

I couldn’t bear it. The thought of losing one of them was excruciating, but losingboth? The dread clawed at my chest, threatening to crush me whole.

But Ty wasn’t finished. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping into a low, commanding tone. “I’m serious, Ava. I’ll be nearby just in case. But if it all goes to shit, yourun.Run and don’t look back.Promise me.”

I shook my head, resolute, even as my chest ached with the weight of the moment. The thought of leaving either Ty or Ciaran behind was unbearable. The idea that this could be goodbye? I couldn’t accept it.

“I’m not running,” I said, my voice firm despite the lump in my throat. “We do this together or not at all.”

Ty’s lips twitched into a faint, sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Stubborn girl. It’s part of why I fell in love with you—”

He hesitated, lifting his hand to brush a stray strand ofhair from my face, his fingers lingering at my jawline, his touch warm and achingly gentle. His gaze softened, but I caught the flicker of fear behind it, the vulnerability he tried so hard to hide.

“Why I keep falling in love with you,” he said, his voice faltering. The words hung heavy in the air, a truth too raw for either of us to fully bear. “Ava, if this is the last time that—”

I pressed my lips to his to silence him, to stop him from saying something that might shatter me completely.

He kissed me back with a desperation that stole my breath, his hands sliding to crush me to him like he could hold me there forever.

It wasn’t just a kiss—it was everything we hadn’t said, everything we couldn’t.

It was love and grief and fear swirling together; it was hello and I love you and goodbye, and I clung to him like he was my anchor in the storm.

My hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer, as if holding him tighter might keep him safe.

I lost myself in the feel of his mouth, his tongue, his hands claiming me, letting it drown out the fear, the uncertainty.

For a moment, the world beyond us ceased to exist. There was only Ty, and the way he kissed me like it was both the first and the last time he ever would.

“I love you more,” he whispered against my mouth.

“This isn’t the end, Mhaor,” I said softly, though the words were as much for me as they were for him. “Don’t you dare say goodbye to me.”

Ty let out a shaky breath, resting his forehead againstmine. For a heartbeat, we stayed like that, the space between us filled with unspoken promises.

“Then don’t give me a reason to, Ava,” he murmured, his voice low, steadying.

---