Chapter 68 We have time
Amara POV
The meal doesn’t end all at once.
It fades.
Conversations taper off. Plates slowly empty. The low hum of voices softens into something quieter, more controlled, like everyone is aware that whatever just happened here isn’t finished.
It’s just paused.
Leviath returned after a little, but now, is the first to rise. Again.
Of course he is.
The movement alone is enough to shift the room again, subtle but immediate. Conversations stop. Attention follows. Even the servants seem to move a little slower, like they’re anticipating his next move before he even makes it so they can please him the right way. Do they really care for him so much?
He sets his glass down with a quiet clink.
“Dinner will be served at seven,” he says smoothly, his gaze drifting across the table, lingering just slightly longer on me than anyone else. “I expect everyone to attend.”
Of course he does.
Because nothing here is optional.
His attention flicks briefly to Sebastian, like he’s measuring something, weighing something, before he adds, “There is much left to discuss that we didn’t get the chance to. I apologize. I just wanted to have a nice lunch with everyone.”
Sebastian nods. “Indeed we do.”
I feel something through the bond. And I look up so notice Sebastian gaze has now moved to Tomas. And a spark of.. jealousy? I think.. I feel.
Leviath inclines his head once at me, satisfied, before turning and leaving the room like the entire thing had been nothing more than a casual gathering.
Like he didn’t just drop another piece onto the board.
The moment he’s gone, the room breathes again.
Not fully.
But enough.
Luther leans back in his chair, exhaling sharply. “Seven,” he mutters. “Great. Just enough time to mentally prepare for whatever that turns into.”
Aven rolls her shoulders slightly. “Or not prepare at all and just see what happens.”
“Yeah,” he says dryly. “That’s always worked out great for us.”
Tomas stands slowly from his seat, smoothing a hand over the front of his coat. “You’ll be informed when dinner is ready,” he says, his tone back to that composed, controlled edge.
Then his eyes flick to me.
Just for a second.
Something unreadable passes through them before he inclines his head slightly and turns away, following after Leviath without another word.
I watch him go.
I don’t know what to make of that man.
“Don’t,” Sebastian murmurs quietly beside me.
I blink and glance at him. “Don’t what?”
“Overthink on him,” he says.
I huff a small breath. “A little late for that.”
His mouth twitches slightly, but not in a good way.
“Yeah,” he mutters. “Fair.”
The rest of us stand not long after, the chairs scraping softly against the floor as we push away from the table.
There’s nothing else keeping us here.
And honestly..
I don’t want to stay.
•••
The halls feel quieter now.
Not empty.
Just.. less watchful.
Or maybe I’m just getting used to it.
Sebastian walks beside me again, his hand finding mine without hesitation, like it belongs there. I’ve always noticed the times he’d find some small way to hold me. Even if it was just touching my hair or having his hand in mine.
The others drift off behind us, Luther and Aven falling into their own conversation, their voices fading as the distance between us grows.
And for a few moments It’s just us.
The sound of our footsteps echoing softly against the stone.
The flicker of candlelight along the walls.
The steady pull of the bond between us.
“You okay?” he asks after a while.
Again.
He keeps asking.
Like he needs to hear it.
Like he won’t believe it unless I say it enough times.
I glance at him, a small smile tugging at my lips. “You’ve asked me that like five times.”
“Yeah,” he says simply.
I tilt my head slightly. “And?”
“And I’ll probably ask five more.”
A quiet laugh slips from me before I can stop it.
He glances at me, something softer flickering through his expression at the sound.
“I’m okay,” I say again, a little more gently this time. My gown sweeps across the floor as I walk, my shoes clicking across the stone floor.
He studies me for a second like he’s trying to decide if that’s true.
Then he nods.
Not fully convinced.
But accepting it anyway.
We walk a few more steps in silence.
“You really killed two vampires?” he asks.
I blink, caught slightly off guard by the sudden shift. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “Among other things.”
A small smile pulls at my lips. “Yeah. I did. But I was blacked out. I have no memory of it.”
His gaze sharpens slightly, something darker flickering there.
“Good,” he mutters.
Silence settles again.
But it’s different this time.
Not heavy.
Not tense.
Just.. quiet.
Comfortable.
For a moment.
Then I feel it.
That shift.
Subtle at first.
Like the air changes.
Like something unseen pulls tighter between us.
I glance at him.
And immediately wish I hadn’t.
Because he’s already looking at me. Hungrily.
It steals the breath right out of my lungs.
“What?” I ask, my voice quieter than I intended.
He doesn’t answer right away.
His gaze drifts over my face slowly, like he’s taking me in piece by piece, like he’s making sure I’m real.
Like I’m still here.
“You have no idea how hard it was,” he says finally.
My brows pull together slightly. “What was?”
His jaw tightens just a fraction.
“Not being able to touch you,” he says.
Oh.
My breath catches.
The bond reacts instantly, tightening, warming, pulling.
I swallow slowly. “You’re touching me now.”
“Not enough,” he murmurs.
The words land heavier than they should.
Before I can respond, he stops walking.
Which means I stop too.
The hallway stretches quiet around us, empty for once, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the stone walls.
And suddenly..
It feels very small.
Very close.
“Sebastian-”
He moves before I can finish.
His hand slides to my waist, firm and immediate, pulling me into him in one smooth motion.
My breath leaves me in a sharp exhale as my hands instinctively come up to his chest, gripping the fabric of his cloak.
“You’re here,” he murmurs, like he’s reminding himself.
“Right in front of me.”
“I never left,” I say softly.
His gaze drops to my mouth.
And that’s it.
That’s all it takes.
He kisses me.
Hard.
Not hesitant.
Not gentle.
Like he’s been holding it back for too long and finally lost whatever control he had left.
I respond instantly, my fingers tightening against his shirt as I pull him closer, closing whatever space might have been left between us.
There isn’t any now.
There isn’t room for it.
Tingles spread all throughout my body. A wetness pooling in my britches. Goddess what is he doing?
His hand tightens at my waist, pressing me against him as his other comes up to cup the side of my face, tilting my head just enough to deepen the kiss.
The bond surges.
Warm.
Alive.
Electric.
It rushes through me like fire catching, spreading through every nerve, every breath, every thought until there’s nothing left but this.
Him.
The way he feels. The way he tastes. The way he needs me just as much as I need him.
My fingers curl into his collar as I lean into him, giving in completely, letting myself get pulled under by it.
By him.
A quiet sound escapes me before I can stop it, and something in him shifts at that, something deeper, something more intense.
His grip tightens slightly, like he’s holding himself back from something more.
From losing control completely.
But he doesn’t pull away.
Not yet.
Not even close.
Instead, his forehead presses briefly against mine, his breath uneven as he exhales slowly.
“Seven,” he mutters quietly, like he’s reminding himself of something.
I blink, still trying to catch my breath. “What?”
His lips brush mine again, softer this time, but no less intentional.
“We have time,” he says.
My heart stutters.
Dangerous words.
Very dangerous words.
But I don’t move away.
I don’t want to.
And judging by the way his hand tightens slightly at my waist..
Neither does he.
We have time..
I smirk, “You’re right, we do.”