Elara’s POV
I stepped out of the lunar-infused bath, steam curling around me like whispered spells, the bathroom aglow with the soft pulse of Luminara’s enchanted crystals. My skin tingled, not just from the water’s magic but from the reckless thrill still coursing through me. I’d crossed a line with Thorne three nights ago, and the memory of his mouth on me, his hands gripping my flesh, fueled every pulse of my heart. Wrapping a towel around myself, I paused as music thumped through my speaker, a defiant rhythm against the mansion’s quiet. I needed noise to drown out the ache, the want that wouldn’t quit.
“Elara?” Thorne’s voice cut through the beat, echoing from downstairs.
My pulse spiked. I killed the music, letting the towel slip to the floor, my damp hair clinging to my shoulder
