Page 48 of Bound in Flames

“I could have!” her voice snapped. “I let the magic take over, Dex. I let it win. What if it happens again? What if next time?—”

“Stop.” The word came out harsher than I intended, but it cut through her spiral of guilt like a blade. Her eyes widened, her breath hitching, but I didn’t let her look away. I leaned closer, lowering my voice but keeping the commanding tone. “Stop blaming yourself for something you couldn’t control. What happened wasn’t your fault, Cleo. You were afraid, and your magic reacted to protect you. That’s not weakness. That’s instinct.”

“But I should have been able to stop it,” she argued, her voice trembling. “I should have been stronger?—”

“Youarestrong, and youdidstop it.” I said, cutting her off again. My hand reached out, brushing against her shoulder before sliding to her chin, tilting her face toward mine. Her skin was warm under my touch, soft and fragile in a way that made my heart ache. “You’re one of the strongest people I’ve met. And you need to stop tearing yourself down. You’ve spent your whole life being told you’re not enough, but I’m telling you now. You are more than enough.”

“That fire in you, that passion, it’s one of your greatest strengths. It’s what makes you unstoppable, and it’s one of the things I’m most obsessed with. You’re human, and I’m orc. Our worlds are different, our bodies different, but none of that matters in here.” My voice was rough with emotion as I pressed her palm against my chest. “I look at you, and all I can think is how I couldn’t imagine a life where I wasn’t completely consumed by you.”

“Obsessed, huh?”

“Completely,” I growled softly, the word rumbling between us. “Because that stubborn, unrelenting fight inside you? It’s why we were destined to be mates.”

Her eyes widened in surprise at my seriousness as I leaned closer, my hand still holding her chin, thumb brushing over her jaw. “You may not see it yet, but you feel it,” I continued. “Your passion, your strength, your refusal to give up. That’s orc nature; it’s the heart of who we are. It’s why the bond between us is so strong. You are mine, and I am yours. No force in this world or the next can break that.”

She shuddered under my hands, tears glistening as they spilled silently down her cheeks. I reached up to brush them away with my thumb as I continued.

“And hear me now.” My voice dropped into a low growl, sharp with promise. “I don’t care who they are. I don’t care where they come from. If anyone—anyone—tries to hurt you again, I will kill them. I will rip them limb from limb, tear them apart with my bare hands, and leave nothing behind. Not your father. Notanyone. You’re mine to protect, Cleo, and I will no matter what it costs me. That’s a promise.” My voice softening.

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as her small hands unclenched in her lap. “Dex...” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I don’t know if I deserve that.”

“You do,” I said fiercely, my grip on her chin forcing her to meet my gaze. “You deserve everything. And I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”

Her lips trembled, her hands lifting slowly to clutch at my shoulders as if she was afraid I might vanish. “You’re stubborn.” Her voice thick with tears.

“So are you. That’s why we work.”

She let out a soft, broken laugh, and the sound tugged at something deep in my chest. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It’s not, but I’d do it for you without question.”

Her laughter dissolved into quiet sobs, and I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her as I held her close. Her head rested against my chest, her warmth sinking into me as I buried my face in her hair. “I’ll keep you safe, Cleo. No matter what it takes.”

She clung to me, her body trembling, and for a long moment, neither of us spoke. The weight of everything hung between us, heavy but unspoken. The truth about why she was here—the prophecy, the clan’s expectations—burned in my chest like a festering wound. But now wasn’t the time to tell her. Not when she was still so vulnerable. But I would tell her.Soon.

Leaning back, I tipped her face up to mine. Her green eyes shimmered with tears, but there was something else there now—something softer, more certain. “You’re mine, Cleo. And I’m yours. Nothing will ever change that.”

Her lips parted, her breath brushing against my skin, and before I could think better of it, I closed the distance between us. The moment our lips met, the rest of the world fell away. Her small hands slid up my neck, her fingers curling against my skin as she leaned into me, her lips soft, warm and hesitant. I deepened the kiss, my hand sliding into her hair, tangling in the wild curls as I pulled her closer.

Pressing against me, her warmth ignited a fire that burned through every thought. I tightened my hold on her, claiming her in a way that left no room for doubt. She was mine. My mate. My equal. My obsession.

She pulled back, her chest heaving as she caught her breath and I moved to rest my forehead against hers, my hand still tangled in her hair. “You’re everything, Cleo,” I whispered. “And I’ll never let you go.”

She shuddered, her hands still clutching at me, and victory flashed through me when I saw the faintest flicker of belief in her eyes.

“Neither am I.”

“Good.” A smile tugged at my lips as I kissed her, pouring as much adoration into it as I could. Because no matter what came next, I would never stop proving it to her.

She was mine to protect now. And Gods help anyone who tried to take her from me.

The momentthe door clicked shut behind us, the tension thickened like a brewing storm, heavy and electric. The weight of everything—the war, the prophecy, the magic—lingered at the edges of my mind, but none of it mattered right now. It was just her. The fire in my veins burned hotter, igniting the hunger that had simmered beneath the surface since the library.

I hadn’t been able to think straight since. The way she had responded to me, how her body melted against mine, how her lips had parted just enough to tempt me beyond reason. It had taken every ounce of my self-control to put duty before pleasure, shoving my aching cock into my pants, pull her up from her knees and leave her in the library.

Control was essential, a constant reminder pulsing beneath my need to possess her in ways she had never known, and I had lost control with her then. My fingers twitched with the memory of holding her throat under them, giving in to my primal need to dominate my mate in every way possible. I was lucky it had only heightened her pleasure and not scared her. I was determined to keep my control in check tonight just in case. In this room, there were no interruptions, no distractions. And Gods help me, I was weak to the need to hear her whimpers again, to feel her surrender beneath me.

My gaze drank her in, following the rise and fall of her chest, the voluptuous curves of her hips, the pink flush creeping over her skin. I closed the distance, my size dwarfing hers, the need thrumming through my veins making it nearly impossible to be gentle.

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