THE PRICE OF A PACT
The dawn at the D’Luca mansion brought no clarity; instead, a thick, grayish light filtered through the heavy velvet curtains, illuminating dust particles that floated in the air like the ashes of a war that had spilled too much blood.
I woke with a heaviness in my chest, a phantom anchor reminding me that my world no longer belonged to me—that beneath the sheets, I had negotiated something more than just my body.
I felt the heat of his solid frame against my back. Aaron’s arm crossed my waist with an authority that brooked no protest, his hand resting possessively over my abdomen. I could feel the steady rhythm of his breath against my neck, a terrifying contrast to the man who had entered the room last night covered in the blood of his enemies.
I moved with t
