Adrian's POV
The city lights cast a warm, amber glow through the window of the high-rise suite, but it did little to calm the tension that twisted inside me. I sat in the plush leather chair, drumming my fingers against the glass of whiskey I barely tasted. My gaze kept drifting toward the balcony, where Valeria stood, a silhouette framed by the sprawling skyline, her hair swept back by the evening breeze.
We'd left the chaos behind, retreated to this quiet hotel, but nothing about the night felt settled. After Talon's appearance and the relentless way he hunted Valeria down, I was on edge, every instinct screaming to stay close, to be ready.
She turned her head slightly, just enough to catch me watching her. I braced myself as she walked inside, her steps soft yet purposeful. She carried herself with that unshakable confidence, the kind that drew everyone to her—and it drove me mad, knowing others had been caught in that same pull. Talon, for one. And I hated him for it.
"Couldn't sit still, could you?" she said, her voice light, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she took me in, the glass still in my hand.
I straightened, setting the drink down on the table. "And you can just act like nothing happened?" I shot back, feeling a pulse of irritation.
She tilted her head, that unreadable expression of hers back in place. "I've handled far worse than Talon."
"But I'm not interested in waiting around for the next attack," I replied, pushing to my feet and moving toward her, barely aware of the distance closing between us until I was standing right in front of her.
Valeria arched a brow. "And what would you do, Adrian? You're human. He's not."
The words cut, but I didn't flinch. "I know exactly what I'm up against." My voice dropped, edged with something darker than I intended. "Talon might think he owns a piece of your past, but I won't let him anywhere near you now. I don't care who he is."
She studied me for a long moment, her gaze sharp, assessing. "Why does it matter so much to you?" she asked, her tone softer than before.
I clenched my jaw, the jealousy simmering beneath my calm exterior. "Because you don't belong to him," I said, more fiercely than I'd meant to. "Or to anyone. Least of all someone who thinks he can show up and just… claim you."
There was a flicker of something in her eyes—surprise, maybe, or something else, something deeper. Her lips parted slightly, but she said nothing, only watched me with that intense, unblinking gaze that never failed to unsettle me. It was like she was peeling back my layers, exposing the parts of me I wasn't ready to reveal, the parts even I didn't fully understand.
But before she could respond, I heard the faintest echo of footsteps in the hallway outside, and a chill ran through me. I knew that sound, that presence—the subtle, predatory feel of it. Talon. Again.
I moved instinctively, positioning myself between Valeria and the door, but she placed a hand on my arm, her touch light but commanding. "Let me handle this," she said, her voice calm but with a steely edge.
I wanted to argue, but something in her eyes warned me against it. She walked past me, her steps slow and controlled as she approached the door, and opened it just as Talon appeared on the threshold. He stood there, as arrogant as ever, his gaze locked onto Valeria, his expression dark and possessive.
"You thought you could hide?" he sneered, his voice cold and mocking. "You thought you could escape me?"
Valeria didn't flinch. "This ends tonight, Talon. I'm done playing by your rules."
He laughed, a low, bitter sound. "You think you can defy me? After everything we've shared?"
I felt a hot surge of jealousy, a blinding anger that I couldn't control. But before I could do anything, Valeria stepped forward, a soft, otherworldly glow beginning to emanate from her, wrapping around her like a second skin. It was the same protective light she'd used before, the same energy that seemed to keep him at bay. Only this time, I could feel its warmth spreading through the room.
Talon's expression shifted, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face as he took in the glow surrounding her. "You're choosing him?" he spat, his voice laced with venom.
Her gaze hardened. "I'm choosing my own path. And you have no place in it."
His face contorted with anger, and in an instant, he lunged forward, his movements swift and almost imperceptible. But Valeria was faster. With a single, fluid motion, she raised her hand, and the light around her intensified, flaring brighter, sharper. It wrapped around me as well, a cocoon of energy that shielded us both, the warmth so intense it made my skin prickle.
Talon stumbled back, visibly shaken, his gaze filled with fury and disbelief. "You think this human can have you?" he hissed, his voice dripping with contempt. "He's nothing, Valeria. He's a mortal. Weak. Fragile."
Valeria's grip on the light tightened, her expression unwavering. "And yet, it's his presence that makes you powerless."
The words struck a nerve. I could see it in Talon's eyes, the way they darkened with a mix of anger and wounded pride. But he didn't move, didn't dare cross the barrier she'd created.
After a tense silence, he took a step back, his expression cold, calculating. "This isn't over," he said, his voice a low, dangerous promise. "You're mine, Valeria. And I will return."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving us alone in the silence of the suite, the air thick with the lingering tension of his threat.
The glow around us faded, and Valeria lowered her hand, exhaling slowly. But as the light dissolved, I felt an emptiness in its absence, a sudden vulnerability that made me want to reach for her, hold onto the warmth she'd wrapped around me.
She turned to me, her expression softening slightly. "Are you all right?" she asked, her voice quiet.
I nodded, but my mind was racing, my emotions tangled in a confusing web of anger, jealousy, and something else—something raw and possessive that I didn't want to examine too closely.
"You're his ex, aren't you?" I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop myself. "He thinks he still has a hold on you."
Her gaze dropped, a flicker of pain crossing her face. "In his mind, maybe. But that's over, Adrian. Whatever Talon and I once had… it's done."
I studied her, trying to read the truth in her expression. But the jealousy clawed at me, fierce and relentless, an ugly reminder of how deeply she was entangled with these creatures, these supernaturals who thought they could own her, control her. And worse, the realization that she was powerful enough to keep them at bay, while I was just a mortal, standing on the edge of a world I didn't fully understand.
But I didn't care. I refused to let them have her, refused to let anyone stand between us. "If he comes back," I said, my voice low and intense, "I'll be here. And I'll fight for you, no matter what it takes."
She met my gaze, something unspoken passing between us, something fragile yet powerful. And in that moment, I felt a surge of protectiveness, an obsession I could no longer ignore.