Chapter 18_His True Form
399 Words
Evi couldn’t sleep.
Not after what Cassian said. Not after the way Lucien had looked at her — like he’d failed to protect the only thing he cared about.
Her.
She stood in the courtyard just outside the cathedral, the moon casting a cold glow on the stones. The wind carried the scent of ash and roses.
Then she felt it.
The air shifted.
She turned, and there he was.
Lucien.
But this time… he wasn’t hiding.
No tailored black coat. No smirk to shield the broken edges.
Just him. Bare-chested. Eyes like burning coals. Tattoos inked across his pale skin, glowing faintly in the dark — ancient vampire marks she couldn’t read.
His fangs were out.
His wings — yes, wings — shadowed behind him like torn velvet.
> “You shouldn’t see me like this,” he said, voice heavy with guilt. “Not when I can’t control it.”
> “Why now?” she whispered.
> “Because Cassian's touch set something off. The bond is reacting. You're changing, Evi. And so am I.”
Her breath caught.
He took a step forward. She didn’t back away.
> “This is what I am,” he said. “Not the boy who kissed you. Not the prince you imagine. Just this. Hunger and shadows.”
She reached out, touched his chest where the glow pulsed under his skin.
> “Then let me see all of it.”
His jaw clenched. His body trembled.
> “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
> “Yes, I do.”
And that was all it took.
Lucien moved.
His hands found her waist, her back pressed against the cold stone wall. The heat between them burned through every layer of fear. His lips grazed hers — once, twice — before crashing down in a kiss that tasted like fire and forever.
His wings folded around her, a dark cocoon hiding them from the world.
> “Evi,” he whispered into her mouth, “if I take this further… if I let the bond complete…”
> “Then I’m yours,” she said, breathless. “And you're mine.”
He groaned — low, feral — and for the first time, she saw it:
Not just a prince.
Not just a vampire.
But a creature who belonged to the night — and now, to her.
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- Writer
