Chapter 65 Ashes And Assets

• (POV: Mateo)
• The sharp smoke stung my lungs. Heat from the flames still touched my skin. Isabela stood in front of me, shaking. She still held the dagger. Soot marked her face. Her eyes were wide, stunned. That kiss… it happened without thinking. Wild. Real. A surge of something primal, possessive, fueled by the adrenaline of battle, by the rage at seeing my property, my future wife, directly threatened. My words, too – "No one takes what is mine!" – had been torn from me, less a calculated statement and more a guttural declaration of absolute ownership.
• For a fraction of a second, I allowed myself to register the moment. Her instinctive, albeit clumsy, use of the dagger I’d given her. The way she’d surprisingly fought back, even for an instant. The chaotic heat of our embrace amidst the falling embers. A momentary loss of my usual iron control. Annoying. But perhaps… revealing. She wasn't entirely passive. Good to know. Something to factor in.