183

183

Draven’s pov
No Mistakes Tonight

She didn’t know I’d already pierced the condom.

I wanted to tell her it was desperation, not manipulation. That it wasn’t about control or revenge or even fear of losing her. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. She’d see it as betrayal,again. And maybe it was. Maybe I was just a selfish bastard who couldn't risk letting her go.

Her breath was soft against my neck, her body draped over mine like I was her safe place, like I hadn’t just made a decision that could change her life forever.

My hand brushed over her bare back slowly, memorizing the warmth of her skin, the shape of her shoulder blades, the curve of her spine. She sighed in her sleep, shifting slightly, pressing closer. I closed my eyes.

She deserved the truth. But tonight, silence was safer.

I stared up at the cracked ceiling of the cabin bedroom, listening to the wind clawing against the windows. My thoughts churned like a storm. If she got pregnant... this time, it wouldn’t be war. It wouldn’t be some curse or punishment or twisted karma.

It would be fate.

And fate owed me one. After everything,after what I did to her, after the blood and screams and the baby we lost,I just wanted one shot at rewriting that ending. Not with flowers and songs and forgiveness. But with something real. Something permanent.

A child.

Her child.
Our child.

I wanted to bind her to me in the only way I knew how. Through something no one could undo. Something deeper than a mark or a promise.

I rolled onto my side carefully, brushing a loose strand of her hair off her cheek. Her lips were slightly parted. Peaceful. And fuck, that gutted me. Because if she found out before I could explain, before I could prove I wasn’t the same monster… it’d break her again.

And she’d leave. For good this time.

“Please forgive me,” I whispered, barely audible. “Just this once.”

She stirred, eyes fluttering open. I froze.

“Draven?” she murmured groggily, eyes still half-closed.

“I’m here,” I said quickly, voice softer than it ever was in the daylight.

She smiled faintly, one hand curling against my chest. “Did you sleep?”

“Not yet.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t stop watching you.”

A blush bloomed across her cheeks even in the dim light. She hid her face in my chest. “Creep.”

“I’ll be your creep any day.”

She chuckled, the sound muffled. Then her voice sobered. “You’re thinking about something, aren’t you?”

I hesitated. “Always.”

Her head tilted back slightly so she could look up at me. “Tell me?”

And there it was. The moment. I could tell her the truth. Tell her I had pierced the condom. Tell her I wanted her in every way, including the most irreversible one. That I wanted to anchor her to me, not just through love,but through blood.

But I didn’t.

“I was thinking…” I swallowed, “how beautiful you look when you sleep.”

She blinked, her face softening. “Liar.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You’re avoiding something.”

I smirked. “Maybe. But if I tell you everything in one night, what would we have left to talk about?”

She rolled her eyes but didn't push further. She didn’t know she was carrying a storm inside her already,one I’d placed there.

I kissed her temple. “Go back to sleep.”

She settled again, and I held her tighter.

But my heart wouldn’t settle. I’d made a choice. One I couldn’t undo.

Because even if she didn’t know it yet, the moment I pierced that condom, I sealed my fate. And hers.

Morning sunlight slipped through the blinds. Her side of the bed was cold.

I jolted upright. “Eira?”

No answer.

I jumped out of bed, pulling on sweatpants and a shirt as I rushed out. My heart pounded like war drums.

She wouldn’t leave. She wouldn’t, right?

I found her on the porch, wrapped in one of my shirts, mug of coffee in hand. Her eyes locked on mine, unreadable.

“Morning,” she said softly.

“You scared the hell out of me.”

She gave a weak smile. “Sorry. I needed air.”

I joined her, standing beside her. The woods stretched out before us, mist curling through the trees.

“Did you sleep okay?” I asked, watching her closely.

She nodded slowly. “Yeah… I did. But I had a weird dream.”

My spine stiffened. “Weird how?”

“I dreamt I was holding a baby. But I couldn’t see its face. I just remember this… warmth. Like I’d finally forgiven myself.”

My mouth went dry. “That doesn’t sound weird. That sounds… beautiful.”

She looked at me then, eyes searching mine. “Would you ever want kids, Draven?”

There it was. I kept my voice steady. “With you? Yes.”

She stared, taken aback. “Really?”

“I’m not lying.”

“Even after everything we’ve been through?”

“Especially after everything. If there’s anyone I want to start over with… it’s you.”

Silence stretched between us.

Her eyes welled up, but she blinked fast. “You really mean that?”

“I’ve never meant anything more.”

She stepped closer, pressing her hand to my chest. “Promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“If that ever happens… we do it right. No more lies. No more secrets. We protect that child better than we protected the last.”

Guilt punched me in the stomach, sharp and unforgiving.

I placed my hand over hers. “I promise.”

She smiled again, then stood on tiptoe and kissed me softly. “Then maybe fate’s not so cruel after all.”

I held her close, fighting the urge to break down right there.

Because I had already broken that promise.

And now all I could do was pray fate gave me the chance to earn it back. Before the truth came crashing down. Before she looked at me with the same hate she once did, in that dungeon soaked in blood and betrayal.

No mistakes tonight, I’d told myself.

But maybe this one would be the last.
The one that made us whole,or tore us apart forever.