The echoes of the morning’s lessons still lingered in her mind as Alina made her way down the quiet corridor, her mark pulsing faintly beneath her skin. The residual heat from her encounter with Riven left a fluttering ache deep in her chest, threads coiling in response even without his touch. Every step toward her room reminded her of the tension she had barely managed to suppress—the thrill of being watched, the intoxicating mix of fear and desire that had left her trembling.
She paused at the landing outside her room, hands gripping the railing. Her thoughts swirled with the memory of Riven’s teasing, his words still lingering in her mind like fire on her skin. The Veil’s presence hummed softly beneath her mark, a subtle pulse that mingled with the awareness of her own growing desires.
