Draven's Point Of View
"You did well, princess."
The words emerged from my throat thicker than I'd intended, carrying a jagged weight of affection I wasn't ready to name yet.
Something vulnerable lurked beneath the surface, something that made my chest tighten in unfamiliar ways.
I'd spent years perfecting the art of emotional distance, yet here I was, undone by three simple words.
I should've regretted it. Should've backtracked, buried the sentiment under my usual cold detachment. But I didn't. The way she trembled in my arms… her breath warm against my neck, her body still humming from the way I'd wrecked her, made me forget why I ever bothered with restraint in the first place.
In moments like these, all my carefully constructed walls seemed pointless. What was the use of armor when she'd already slipped past every defense?
