The possessiveness in his voice sends a thrill through me, and I know I’m in deep. Too deep. But there’s no going back now—not that I’d want to.
“Solan,” I whisper, my throat tight. “If we do this… if we complete the bond….”
“There’s no ‘if,’” he says, his voice like a vow. “Only ‘when.’”
The finality in his tone sends a shiver down my spine, but I nod, my resolve hardening. Whatever this is, whatever it means… I’m all in.
The air between us is charged, heavy with unspoken words and the kind of tension that has a life of its own. Solan’s eyes burn into mine, heated and alive, as if the fire in him could consume the space between us. His hair, those strange tendrils of living flame, flickers towards me, and I can feel the heat of them even before they touch.
Then he moves.
It’s not a tentative kiss, not the kind you ease into, testing the waters. It’s desperate and claiming, the kind of kiss that demands surrender. He cups my face, his hair ghosting just shy of my skin as his mouth crashes against mine.
The world tilts, my thoughts scattering like leaves in a storm. His lips are hot and insistent, his sharp teeth brushing my lower lip, sending a jolt of something electric through me. A promise, a declaration, aclaim… every single one of those things is pressed against my lips, stroking my tongue, consuming me.
I’m lost in him, his taste, the way his body presses against mine like he’s trying to carve himself into my very being. I clutch at his sides, the heat of his skin burning in the most incredible way as he licks into my mouth with his forked tongue.
Bang, bang, bang.
The sound echoes through the room like a gunshot, shattering the moment.
I pull back, gasping, my heart pounding against my ribs like it’s trying to break free. Solan’s eyes are wild, his chest heaving, his hair sparking and curling in agitation.
“Whoever that is,” I growl, my voice rough, “is about to die.”
Solan’s lips quirk into something like a smirk, but the moment doesn’t last. The knock is a sharp reminder of everything waiting for us on the other side of the door—the rebels, the mission, and Jamie. My chest tightens at the thought of him, his wide, uncertain eyes, and the way he clings to me like I’m the only thing keeping him tethered.
I let out a shaky breath, stepping back reluctantly. “We’ll finish this later.”
Solan nods, his gaze lingering on me, his hair still reaching like it doesn’t want to let me go. “Later,” he agrees, though the word is thick with reluctance.
Before we move towards the door, there’s something I have to know. “Wait,” I say, my voice softer now. “I need to ask you something.”
His expression shifts, wary but open. “What is it?”
“You said… we’d share thoughts and feelings,” I begin, struggling to keep my voice steady. “Is there a way to… block that? To stop it?”
The question seems to hurt him, the flicker of pain in his eyes a knife to my chest. His lips press into a thin line before he answers. “Sort of,” he says after a moment, emotion making his English momentarily halt again. “We can… shield. Like dimming a light. Can block thoughts with practice.”
“And emotions?” I press.
His gaze meets mine, intense and unyielding. “Emotions… always there. A shadow. Faint, but… always.”
I nod, though the answer makes my stomach churn. The idea of someone else, anyone else, having that kind of access to my inner world is… unnerving. But with Solan, the thought isn’t terrifying. It feels… right, somehow.
“There’s one more thing,” I say, my mind turning back to the rebel leader’s words. “About the power—what we learned from Varek. You said you weren’t sure of the true impact it would have on us.”
Solan’s jaw tightens, his gaze darkening. “I still don’t know,” he admits. “But Varek is right. Others could try to use it. Our bond… it’s a strength but also a weakness. If someone took you, if they controlled you….” He trails off, the thought clearly unbearable.
I swallow hard, my horror mirrored in his expression. “Or you,” I whisper, the enormity of it settling over me like a weight.
“It’s why we must be careful,” he says, his voice low and fierce. “Together, we are strong. Stronger than anyone other than other bonded pairs. But apart….”
The silence between us speaks volumes, the implications sinking in.
“It explains why Varek was so eager to welcome us,” I say, my thoughts racing. “We could be a game-changer for them, couldn’t we? Turn the tide of their rebellion.”
Solan nods grimly. “Yes. And others will see it too. Not just the rebels. The realm… others…. They will all want what we have.”
