ATASHA'S POV : 81 55 vouchers He kissed me , gently , almost patient at first . His warm breath and the faint taste of wine , hum quietly against my lips . His hand skimmed my waist , palm steady as it mapped the curve of my hip , then higher , finding the wild thrum of my heart . I should have frozen . I should have flinched the way prey does under a predator's paw . Instead , I answered . A soft sound escaped before I could swallow it . My fingers curled in the wool lapel of his shirt , anchoring me in a storm I'd never learned to survive . His mouth deepened the kiss , slow turning to urgent , coaxing want from places fear had long starved . When his teeth grazed my lower lip I gasped , and he drank the sound like approval . The hand at my waist slid up , calluses brushing my bare skin . Heat flared inside me . " Breathe , " he murmured against my mouth , and I realized I wasn't . I drew in air , sharp , trembling , flavored with cedar smoke and rain . Every sense felt raw , the fire's crackle , his pulse beneath my palm , the scrape of stubble catching silk skin . He smelled of iron and winter and something yet unnamed that pulled a reckless ache from my chest . " Look at me , " he said . I did . His gray eyes which almost looked like steel , locked onto mine . He studied me the way a predator studies a puzzle . Power shimmered behind that gaze . Hunger lingered too , not just physical , but something deeper , darker. A craving to own , to test , to consume . And beneath it all , a question burned quietly between us . Would I bend for him ... willingly , completely ? Or would I resist ... until I shattered ? " You're not shaking ," he repeated , softer this time , almost curious . " I'm past shaking ," I whispered . " There's nothing left to fear . " That was a lie and I knew he knew , he heard it . His thumb brushed the curve beneath my breast , testing . My breath stilled again , not from fright but from the strange , sharp thrill of it . The edge he dangled me over tilted closer to 11:02 Wed , Sep 10 Chapter 8 : ruin , yet some stubborn shard inside refused to cower . 81 55 vouchers He felt that defiance . I saw it flicker behind his gaze . " Good ," he said . " A consort should know when to bare her throat and when to bare her teeth . " The hand roaming my skin found the thin scar I'd earned training years ago , one of the few marks that never healed pretty . It was the one near my heart . Just above it . A few more inches and I would have died . But I didn't. Instead , the wound healed on its own . That was the day I discovered my ability . He traced it . " Flawed blade , " he murmured , echoing his earlier taunt . " But tempered ." His lips curved into a faint smile before he pressed a kiss to the scar as if trying to rewrite its meaning with his own . Heat bloomed low in my belly , curling through me like wildfire . His hand trailed along my side before rising to cup my breast . A sharp gasp escaped me as heat bloomed deep in my core . Then , a knock shattered the moment like glass . The world rushed back in . I let out a deep breath I didn't even know I was holding . Cassian's expression darkened instantly . He turned his head toward the door , voice sharp with annoyance . " Didn't I tell you not to disturb me ? " " My lord ," came the urgent reply from the other side . " The Demon Fang has launched an attack . They've tripled their numbers . We believe they'll breach the border and reach the pack's territory within the hour . " I froze . My blood turned cold . The Demon Fang , rogues who had no allegiance , only a hunger for the blood of their own kind . They'd been a looming threat ever since they carved out their so - called kingdom , but this ... this would be the first time they dared to launch a direct assault on our pack . Coincidence ? I heard him snicker . Then he took a step back , took a coat and suddenly covered me with it . I froze but chose to focus . " The Demon Fang's territory is not that far . An hour is an overestimate . They rely on the dark to make trickeries . I- I've seen the wounds that their weapons made , " My words seemed to catch him off guard , and for once , I found the courage to meet his eyes . " Please be careful , " I said , my voice softer than I expected . Then I froze . I wasn't sure where the boldness had come from . Those words just slipped out before I could stop my mouth from speaking . Flustered , I rushed to add , " It's just ... if something happens to you , I might get stuck here . In this place . " 11:02 Wed , Sep 10 Chapter 8 : 81 55 vouchers As soon as the words left my mouth , I winced inwardly . That sounded selfish , didn't it ? Like I only cared because it would affect me . I opened my mouth again , trying to fix it . " I - I didn't mean it like that , I just― " He chuckled before I could finish . Cassian's chuckle deepened into something low and wicked , like he found far too much amusement in my flustered spiral . His gaze dropped as he wrapped his coat around me . " If I had known you cared so much about my safety , " he said , voice velvet with mischief , " I would've taken my time finishing what we started . " My mouth opened , yet nothing came out . He leaned in slightly , his breath brushing the shell of my ear . " But if I don't make it back ... " He paused , just long enough for my heart to catch in my throat . " You'll have to find another way to relieve all that tension I just built ." My face went up in flames . Air . I needed air . He pulled back with a slow grin that told me he knew exactly what he was doing , and just how red I'd turned . Then , without another word , he dipped his head and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead . The gesture was brief , but it left my chest twisted in something far worse than panic , something tender yet dangerous . " Wait here , " he said , straightening and fastening the last strap of his armor . " I'll be back ." And then he was gone , cloak snapping behind him like a warning . I stood frozen , still wrapped in his coat , my skin flushed , my thoughts tangled , and my dignity barely intact . I wanted to scream into the pillows . Or melt into the floor . Or both . With shaking hands , I peeled off the coat and searched for something decent to wear . After a few frantic minutes , I found a simple set of clean clothes , a soft tunic and dark leggings , folded neatly on the nearby chaise . I assumed they had been placed there earlier and gratefully slipped into them . My body still hummed with leftover heat , but I tried to focus on the looming threat beyond these walls , not the man who had just kissed me breathless . I had just started to smooth down my hair when a quiet knock came at the door . I stiffened . A second later , it creaked open , revealing a girl no older than fifteen or sixteen . She had a delicate face , round with nervous eyes and a slight frame that barely filled out the crisp uniform she wore . It was similar to the colors of Cassian's personal guard , black with silver 11:02 Wed , Sep 10 Chapter 8 trim , the red crest of the Valemont sigil stitched neatly at the shoulder . 81 55 vouchers " I'm sorry to disturb you , my lady , " the girl said with a slight bow . " The Lord sent this to help calm your nerves ." She held up a small silver tray , balanced carefully in her hands . On it sat a single porcelain cup filled with steaming tea , the scent floral and slightly sweet . " Oh ," I said , blinking at her . " Thank you . " That was a bit unexpected . Did I misjudge the monster after all ? She gave a hesitant smile , then turned to go . I watched her leave , assuming without much thought that she was one of Cassian's people . The uniform , after all , matched his . And I hadn't seen many of the castle's servants yet . It made sense . I brought the cup closer , fingers wrapping around the delicate ceramic . Then I immediately realized something . The aroma was ... off . Not wrong exactly , but strange . I frowned and brought it closer to my nose . Then I felt it beneath the floral scent , something metallic lingered , faint but unmistakable . Like rust , or old coins , or- My stomach sank . Poison . 田 AD Comment Send gift No Ads Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!