THE ALPHA'S MIDNIGHT MERCY

𝐶𝑂𝑁𝑇𝑅𝑂𝐿 𝑉𝑆 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑂𝑆

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 5

Your Powers are reactive, Elara," Vane said, his voice echoing off the high, amber ceilings. He had discarded his shirt entirely now, his back covered in swirling black tattoos that seemed to move like ink in water. "It responds to your fear and your anger. In the arena, you were a spark. Here, you must be the flame."

He placed a single, heavy black candle on a pedestal between them. "Light it. No matches. No flint. Just your intent.

Elara stared at the wick. She thought of Marcus. She thought of the cold snow. Nothing happened.

"I can't just... make fire happen, Vane. I’m an accountant, not a dragon.

Vane moved behind her. He didn't touch her, but the heat radiating from his chest was a distraction she couldn't ignore. "Close your eyes. Stop thinking about spreadsheets. Think about the moment you saw me in the forest. Think about the moment I claimed you

He placed his hands over hers, guiding them toward the candle. His skin was scorching. As his fingers interlaced with hers, the "her power" began to hum in her marrow like a hive of bees".

"Feel that?" he whispered against her ear. "That’s the bond. Use it. Take my strength and turn it into your own.

Elara let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She visualized the golden spark that had saved him in the arena. She felt the possessive weight of his presence behind her, the way he smelled of storms and secret

Suddenly, the gold didn't just spark—it roared

A pillar of brilliant, white-gold flame shot up from the candle, missing Vane’s chin by an inch and singing a hole through the amber ceiling. The library shuddered.

Elara gasped, trying to pull away, but Vane spun her around and pinned her against the pedestal. The candle was knocked over, rolling across the floor, but neither of them noticed.

His eyes were full of a dark, shimmering pride. "Incredible," he breathed. "You have enough power to level this palace, little bird.

"I almost set you on fire!" Elara cried, her heart racing.

"I’ve been burning since the moment I smelled you on that balcony," Vane growled. He leaned in, his lips inches from hers. The air between them was thick with unspent magic and a decade’s worth of tension. "The Council thinks you’re a liability. I think you’re a miracle. And I am a very, very greedy man.

He didn't kiss her—not yet. He was tormenting her, testing her resolve. He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb, his gaze dropping to her mouth

"If we’re going to survive the Council's trial tomorrow," he said, his voice a low, rough caress, "you need to learn one more thing. You need to learn how to mask the fact that your heart beats only for me.