Page 89 of Imperfect Desires

My heart hammers against my ribs. I brace myself for pain, for violence, for the cruel grin I’ve come to fear.

But then the man stops.

And my name leaves his mouth.

“Alina.”

It’s not a command.

It’s not a threat.

It’s my name. Spoken low and rough and achingly familiar.

Lev.

My breath catches.

No. No—it’s a trick. A hallucination. I’ve imagined his voice so many times since I was dragged into this nightmare. I’ve heard it in my dreams, in the silence, in the way the wind rattled the glass at night.

I blink.

He’s still there. The smoke parts just enough for me to see his face. Those eyes—steel and storm and something softer hidden deep inside—lock onto mine.

He doesn’t wait.

He crosses the room in three long strides, and before I can process what’s happening, his arms are around me. Solid and real.

Feeling safe and overwhelmed, I melt into him. All the strength I’ve hoarded over the past few days shatters in a single, silent sob as I collapse against his chest. My fingers clutch at the fabric of his shirt, and he tightens his hold, like he’s afraid I’ll vanish.

His hand presses to the back of my head, cradling me gently. He buries his face in my hair.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, voice low and ragged. “I’ve got you now.”

I nod, even though I can barely move.

It wasn’t a dream.

He came.

Lev came.

I haven’t even caught my breath.

His arms are still around me, his scent still grounding me in something real, when the echo of pounding boots pierces the fragile calm.

Footsteps.

Heavy. Rushed. Too many.

Lev stiffens. His entire body transforms in an instant—warmth replaced by tension, comfort swapped for steel.

He doesn’t speak.

He doesn’t have to.

He moves faster than my mind can register, twisting us so suddenly I'm standing behind him within a second. His body shields mine, his back a wall of muscle and adrenaline. I’m shoved behind him, his arm flung out instinctively, protectively.

A second later, his gun is drawn—steady, aimed at the door, his finger curled around the trigger with terrifying precision.

---