Page 110 of The Onyx Covenant

A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “Something like that.”

“Only took them a decade,” I mutter, running my fingers along the shelves. “They seemed all too happy to abandon their posts once we took over.”

“Ten years trapped between warring packs would drain anyone’s courage,” Theron says, though there’s little sympathy in his tone. “Especially with someone like my father watching their every move.”

I retrieve a chair from behind the desk, dragging it to the wall and climbing up to examine the higher shelves. “So, what exactly are we looking for? Secret lever? Hidden door? Ancient chest full of forbidden knowledge?”

“I don’t know exactly,” he admits, glancing up at me. “My mother wasn’t specific in her journals. Just look for anything unusual.”

“This entire building is unusual,” I grumble but continue my search.

For several minutes, we work in companionable silence. I test loose stones, pull random books, and tap on suspicious-looking panels. Occasionally, I steal glances at Theron, admiring every inch of him.

“If you keep looking at me like that,” he says suddenly, “we’re never going to find anything useful.”

“Like what?” I ask with feigned innocence.

“Like you’re imagining me doing things that have nothing to do with secret passages.” He abandons his search, crossing the space between us in three long strides.

Before I can formulate a sarcastic response, he’s there, one hand closing around my wrist and tugging me down from the chair. In seconds, I find myself trapped between the solid wall and his harder body.

“You were saying?” I manage, heart already racing.

His arms cage me in, palms flat against the wall on either side of my head. “You’re mine now,” he admits, voice dropping to that dangerous register that vibrates through my chest. “No escape routes. No rescue coming.”

Instead of fear, heat floods my veins. I tilt my chin up defiantly. “I don’t need rescuing. I’m exactly where I want to be.”

“And where’s that?” His eyes darken, pupils expanding until only a thin ring of gray remains.

“With you,” I say simply. “Where else would I be?”

Something shifts in his expression—the playful dominance giving way to something rawer, more primal.

“Say it again,” he commands, his voice rough.

I hold his gaze steadily. “I’m yours.”

His thumb traces my lower lip, pressing just hard enough to sting. “I’ve wanted you since we first met in the woods, Lyra. I burned when I lost you, and I watched you from afar, knowing I couldn’t have you but desperately ached for you.”

“And now?” I ask, sliding my hands up his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heart.

“Now, nothing stands in my way.” A savage satisfaction colors his words. “And you’re mine.”

“Yours,” I agree, then dig my nails into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer. “But don’t forget… you’re also mine. The most feared wolf in the territory, brought to heel by an Elios priestess. Imagine what they’d say.”

A growl rumbles deep in his chest. “Is that what you think? That you’ve tamed me?”

I smile, slow and deliberate. “I think I like having a dangerous predator wrapped around my finger.”

His other hand tangles in my hair, tilting my head back to expose my throat. “Dangerous is right,” he murmurs against my pulse point. Suddenly, he claims my mouth in a bruising kiss. There’s nothing gentle about it—this is possession. His teeth catch my lower lip, biting just hard enough to send sparks of pleasure-pain racing along my nerves.

I gasp as his tongue invades, taking immediate control. My body responds instantly, melting against him like it was made for this alone. I claw at his shoulders, seeking purchase, needing him closer still. He tastes of wild berries and mint leaves from our morning meal, and beneath that, something darker and uniquely his—like pine needles and smoky amber.

His hands are everywhere—in my hair, gripping my waist, sliding beneath the hem of my shirt to find bare skin. Each touch leaves a trail of fire in its wake, and I arch into him, wanting more, needing more.

“I thought…” I manage when he finally releases my mouth to attack my neck. “I thought you were searching for something important.”

“I am,” he growls against my throat, teeth scraping sensitive skin. “But I’m finding myself thoroughly distracted.” His fingers trace the edge of my waistband. “I should probably return to my search,” he murmurs, pulling back slightly.

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