The ceremonial fire room was warmer than the rest of the castle, lit by torches and braziers that cast flickering shadows along the stone walls. The scent of burning pine and smoke hung heavy in the air, curling around Alina as she stepped inside, heart pounding with anticipation.
Riven stood at the center, golden eyes gleaming, fire curling lazily around his fingers, dancing in tune with his every movement. The heat radiating from him was immediate, almost unbearable, and it made her pulse race. His lean muscles glinted faintly in the firelight, the lines of his body deliberate, sensual, impossible to ignore.
“Ah,” he said softly, voice teasing, low. “You’ve come. I wondered if you’d be brave enough tonight.”
Alina swallowed. “I… I’m ready,” she whispered, though the tremor in her voic
