Maximus's POV
I didn’t mean to say it.
The words slipped out, born from something deeper than lust, deeper than this primal hunger that had taken root inside me since the moment Emilia looked at me like I was more than a monster.
‘Marry me,’ I had whispered into her ear, my lips still brushing her skin.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
It felt like the entire cabin held its breath. Even the storm outside seemed to pause, as if the gods themselves were waiting for her response.
Slowly, Emilia turned her head, her hair brushing across my jaw. Her eyes—those deep eyes—searched mine, wide and shimmering with something I couldn’t quite name.
“What… did you just say?” she whispered, voice fragile, almost breaking.
I blinked. My heart slammed against my ribs. For the first tim
