Page 30 of Second

His words hung in the air, and for a moment, Elara thought she might cry. She could feel his sincerity through the bond, thedepth of his struggle. He wasn’t pulling away because he didn’t care. He was pulling away because he cared toomuch.

Elara reached across the table, her hand trembling slightly as she placed it over his. His skin felt warm beneath her touch, his fingers rough and calloused from centuries of wielding weapons. He tensed at first, but then his hand relaxed, his fingers curling slightly as if to hold ontohers.

“You don’t have to figure this out on your own,” she said quietly. “I know you feel like this is all on you, but it’s not. We’re both in this, Zar’Ryn. Whatever this is, we’ll figure it out.”

He stared at her, his expression unreadable, but she felt a faint flicker of something through the bond—relief, maybe. Or gratitude. It was hard to tell, but it was enough to give herhope.

“I would never take my Final Flight,” he said suddenly, his voice firm. “Not now. Not knowing what it would do to you. Icould never do that to you.”

Elara’s chest tightened, and she nodded, her throat too tight to speak. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear those words untilnow.

“You are not just someone I am bonded to,” he continued, his voice softer. “You are… more. Ido not know what this connection is or where it will take us, but I know one thing for certain. Iwill not let it hurt you. Iwill not let anyone hurt you. Not Selyr. Not the Marauders. Not anyone.”

The intensity in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She knew he meant every word. She could feel it through the bond, afierce, unyielding determination that wrapped around her like a shield.

“You don’t have to say that,” she whispered. “You don’t have to make promises you’re not sure you can keep.”

“I am not making a promise,” he said, standing abruptly and moving around the table. He stopped in front of her, his broad frame towering over her as he reached down and pulled her to her feet. “I am telling you the truth.”

Before she could respond, his hands framed her face, his touch firm but gentle. His amethyst gaze locked onto hers, burning with an intensity that made her kneesweak.

“Elara,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. “It does not matter if this bond is forcing me to feel this way or if it is something else. What I feel is real. And I need you to know that I want you. Iwant us. No matter what.”

Her heart felt like it might burst, and before she could think, before she could question, she found herself nodding. “I want us, too,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Even if it scares me.”

His lips curved into the faintest smile, and then he leaned down, his mouth capturing hers in a kiss that was both tender and fierce. The bond flared between them, not with confusion or fear, but with pure, undeniable passion.

When they finally broke apart, Elara rested her forehead against his chest, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Zar’Ryn’s arms wrapped around her, strong and unyielding, and she felt a warmth she hadn’t realized she’d been craving.

“Whatever comes next,” he murmured, his voice low and steady, “We will both face it. This I swear it.”

Elara closed her eyes, letting his words sink in. For the first time, the future didn’t feel so terrifying. With Zar’Ryn by her side, it felt possible.

Chapter 12

THE ROOMwas dim, the only light coming from the faint glow of the bracelet on Elara’s wrist. She lay tangled in the sheets, her breathing still uneven as she pressed her cheek against Zar’Ryn’s broad chest. His skin against hers felt warm and slick with sweat, his arm draped possessively around her waist as if he could shield her even in sleep.

But Zar’Ryn wasn’t sleeping. His fingers traced slow, absent patterns along her spine, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as if searching for answers in the shadows. The bond between them pulsed faintly, asteady rhythm that matched the rise and fall of their breathing.

Elara tilted her head to look up at him, her hair spilling across his chest. “You’re quiet,” she said softly, her voice breaking the stillness.

“I am thinking,” he replied, his tone low andeven.

She smiled faintly, brushing her fingers across the bracelet on his wrist. “I figured that much. Care to share with the class?”

His lips curved slightly, ashadow of a smile that quickly faded. “I am thinking about us,” he admitted. “About everything that has changed. Everything that will keep changing.”

Her chest tightened at his words, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she propped herself up on one elbow, her hair cascading over her shoulder as she looked down at him. “You mean the bond,” she said carefully.

“I mean you,” he corrected, his amethyst gaze locking onto hers. “And what it means to have you in my life. What it means to want you. To need you.”

Elara’s breath caught, the weight of his words pressing against her heart. “Is that so bad?” she asked softly.

“No,” he said immediately, his voice firm. “But it is… different. For centuries, Ihave known who I am. What I am. And now… everything feels uncertain. Except for one thing.”

She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. “What’s that?”

“You,” he said simply, his hand sliding up to cradle her face. “No matter what happens, no matter where this bond leads us, you are the one thing I know is real.”

---