-LILIAN-
*I love you, Lilian.* The words echoed in my heart, stirring a mixture of disbelief, fear, and a strange, unfamiliar warmth. I had expected many things from Alexander—anger, demands, even more cruelty—but never such raw vulnerability, never a plea for love.
My hand was still cupping his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin, the tremor that ran through him. His golden eyes, filled with a desperate hope, searched mine, waiting for my answer. The bond thrummed with his anxiety, a soft, anxious pulse that tugged at my own emotions.
My mind raced, replaying every moment of our tormented journey. The fear he’d inspired, the grief for Uriel, the endless days of defiance. But also, the shocking vulnerability in the garden, the agony I’d inflicted on him, and the desperate, primal urge
