Page 151 of Crowned In Venom

Not a sanctuary.

Not a refuge.

A burial ground.

Still, we press forward until we reach a massive stone altar.

It is the only thing in the room, standing in the center like it has been waiting for something.

For us.

I am too tired to question it.

I collapse onto the stone, my body giving out.

Anya sits beside me, her hands still shaking from all we have endured.

I turn to her.

"Anya."

She looks at me, her expression soft, weary, beautiful.

I lift my hand, touching her cheek, brushing away the dirt and blood that stains her skin.

"I love you."

The words fall without hesitation.

Without fear.

Her breath catches.

"Varkos—"

I don’t let her finish.

I pull her close, pressing my lips to hers, soft, unhurried.

She melts into me, her fingers threading through my hair, holding me as if she is afraid I will disappear.

I kiss her again, desperate to drown in her warmth.

If this is the last moment I have before I return to face my fate, I will make it count.

Her hands tighten around me.

And I know?—

She won’t let me go easily.

Neither will I.

But some things are inevitable.

The Matriarch is still out there.

And this isn’t over.

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