Page 192 of Crowned In Venom

A breath shudders from my lips as my eyes flutter open.

And the first thing I see is Varkos.

He is sitting at my bedside, his broad frame hunched forward, his hands clutching mine. His head is bowed slightly, his dark hair falling forward in loose waves.

But it is his eyes that stop my heart.

The moment he sees me stir, everything in him stills.

A slow, shuddering breath.

Then—relief crashes through him like a storm breaking.

"Anya," he exhales, his voice raw, wrecked.

His fingers tighten around mine, as if he’s afraid I might disappear. As if he still doesn’t believe this is real.

My lips part, but no words come.

I just look at him.

Truly look at him.

The bruises along his jaw, the healing wound on his side. The exhaustion lining his face. The quiet, desperate way he watches me, like I am the most precious thing in existence.

Like I am his everything.

And in this moment, I know.

We did it.

The Matriarch is dead.

Her reign is over.

And Varkos is free.

"We won?" My voice is hoarse, barely a whisper.

His lips part—and suddenly, he is moving.

He leans over me, pressing his forehead to mine, his body trembling.

"We won," he murmurs, his breath warm against my skin.

A sharp ache blooms in my chest, an overwhelming, unbearable flood of emotions.

Relief. Joy. Love.

I lift a shaking hand, brushing his cheek.

He leans into my touch like a dying being finding salvation.

"You stayed," I whisper.

His throat works, his eyes burning.

"Always."

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