Elena’s POV
The moon hung heavy in the sky, like a watchful eye carved in silver, illuminating the ancient stone walls of Blackthorn Manor. I sat on the edge of the bed, the silk sheets tangled around my legs, Lucien's scent still clinging to my skin—dark spice, smoke, and something uniquely him.
My fingers traced the mark at the base of my neck, still warm, still pulsing with the bond he had just deepened. The Vow. His words—“You are mine. As long as I breathe, you are protected. You are loved”—still echoed in my ears, both terrifying and comforting in equal measure.
He hadn’t said it lightly. Lucien never did anything lightly. And when he looked at me, kissed me with that raw, sacred reverence… I knew that something had changed. Not just between us, but within me.
I wasn’t the same g
