Chapter 21

• The festival lights still flickered in the distance as I stood on the hill, watching Dorian disappear into the darkness. My lips tingled from his kiss, my heart still pounded in my chest, but my mind was a tangled web of confusion and doubt. The mate bond—this unyielding force that pulled me toward him—was relentless. It whispered promises of belonging, of protection, but I wasn’t sure if I could trust it.
• Could I trust him?
• Dorian was dangerous. A warrior. A king-to-be with a reputation built on bloodshed. And yet, tonight, there had been something else beneath the ferocity—a softness that made my chest ache in ways I wasn’t ready for. But desire was not the same as trust.