59

Selene’s breath came in sharp, uneven gasps.

Kieran stood before her, his chest rising and falling too fast, his golden eyes dark with something raw, something dangerous.

The air between them was different now.

Charged.

Heavy.

Unforgiving.

Because no matter how much they had fought, no matter how much distance had stretched between them—they had never crossed this line before.

And now?

Now, there was no undoing it.

Selene could still feel the heat of his lips on hers, the pressure of his grip on her face, the way his entire body had felt against hers.

She had let it happen.

For a single, reckless moment, she had let herself want.

And now, she was paying for it.

Kieran took a step forward.

Selene immediately took a step back.

Her heart pounded. Not from fear. From something worse.

Kieran’s voice was low, rough. Unsteady.

KIERAN:

“Selene—”

SELENE:

“No.”

She cut him off before he could speak.

Before he could ruin this more than it already was.

Before he could say something that would shatter her completely.

She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to find her strength.

To remember why she was here.

To remember what was at stake.

This wasn’t about him.

This wasn’t about whatever was still burning between them.

This was about war.

And Selene could not afford to lose.

She lifted her chin, silver eyes blazing.

SELENE:

“This doesn’t change anything.”

Kieran’s jaw tensed.

KIERAN:

“You think you can pretend this didn’t happen?”

Selene clenched her fists. “I don’t have to pretend.”

Kieran let out a sharp breath, his gaze never leaving hers.

And gods, she hated him for the way he looked at her.

Like he saw everything.

Like he knew she was lying.

Because she was.

Because no matter how much she wanted to believe that she could walk away from this moment unscathed—

She already knew the truth.

This had changed everything.

Kieran took another step forward, his golden eyes burning with something that made her chest ache.

KIERAN:

"Don’t do this, Selene."

Selene forced herself to stay still.

Forced herself to breathe.

Because she could feel it—the pull.

The same damn pull that had always been between them.

But she couldn’t give in.

Not again.

Not now.

She shook her head, her voice sharper than she intended.

SELENE:

"I already did."

Then, before he could stop her—before she could stop herself—

She turned.

And she walked away.

Leaving Kieran behind.

Leaving the wreckage of what they had just done behind.

But as she disappeared into the night, her hands still trembling at her sides—

She knew.

This wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.