Valeria's POV
The invitation felt heavier than any mere piece of parchment. Its thick, cream-colored paper radiated an unmistakable hum of ancient magic, the silver-embossed text seeming to pulse with energy. I traced my fingers over the name written in elaborate script—my name—summoning me to an exclusive supernatural gala, one of the rare gatherings where the most powerful beings across realms would converge. It was as much an honor as a command.
As I read through it, a single line stopped me in my tracks:
Special Guest of Honor: Talon.
Just reading his name stirred memories I had long buried—powerful, visceral, memories that I'd forced myself to move past. Talon, with his unrelenting intensity, his ruthless devotion that bordered on obsession. A mix of emotions—fear, unease, something almost like yearning—flickered through me, and I knew, despite my trepidation, that I couldn't refuse.
But as I lowered the invitation, I noticed Adrian watching me, his gaze sharp and possessive. He didn't miss a thing, that man.
"What's that?" he asked, his voice casual but with a tension lying just beneath.
I sighed, handing him the invitation, knowing there was no use hiding it. "An invitation to the Infinite Society's gala. It's… an important event."
Adrian's eyes scanned the invitation, his face shifting from mild curiosity to a hard, dark jealousy as he lingered on Talon's name. He exhaled sharply, the invitation trembling in his hand. "Talon?"
I nodded, keeping my expression carefully neutral. "Yes."
He closed his eyes briefly, jaw clenched. When he looked at me again, his gaze was like fire—unrelenting, filled with a simmering, possessive fury. "You're not going alone."
"Adrian, this isn't a simple event." I paused, choosing my words carefully. "It's dangerous. There are beings there—ones who won't hesitate to exploit any weakness, any human who doesn't belong. They're not like me. They won't care if you're mortal."
He took a step closer, a flicker of something raw, almost feral, in his eyes. "Do you think I care? Do you think any of them could stop me from being by your side?"
There was an intensity in his gaze that nearly stole my breath. He was a man used to getting what he wanted, and right now, he wanted to protect me. Against reason, against everything I'd warned him about.
"It's not that simple," I tried, my voice softening. "Adrian, this world—"
"I don't care about your world, Valeria." His voice was barely above a whisper, but the raw need in it echoed through me. "If Talon's there… then I'm going. I'm not letting him have you to himself."
The possessiveness in his tone stirred something dark, thrilling, but I bit my lip, determined to stay grounded. Still, there was a part of me that wanted to relent, to allow him to be my shadow tonight, and that part won.
"Fine," I whispered, after a long pause. "But you'll stay close. This isn't a place for mortals to wander."
A faint smile played at the edges of his lips, and his fingers brushed mine in a silent promise.
---
Later that Night
Adrian was waiting in my room, and as I stepped in, I felt his gaze lock onto me, eyes widening slightly as he took in my appearance. My gown sparkled with every step, catching the light in a ripple of diamonds that clung to my form, cascading in delicate strands over my shoulders and down my arms. I felt every bit the Siren I was born to be, regal, otherworldly—perhaps even dangerous.
For a long moment, Adrian just looked at me, the raw desire in his eyes unmistakable. His gaze darkened, and he took a slow breath, as if grounding himself. "Valeria…"
I met his gaze, feeling the heat between us like a live wire. "Ready?"
He swallowed, nodding, but his voice held an edge of reverence. "You look like something out of a dream. They're not worthy of you. Not a single one of them."
The intensity of his words lingered, an unspoken promise of devotion, and as I took his arm, I felt the reassurance of his touch steady me.
---
The Midnight Gala
The Infinite Society's gala was a spectacle unlike anything I had ever seen. It was a world of its own—beyond mortal comprehension. The ballroom stretched out before us like a kingdom of glass and shadow, the floor gleaming underfoot, reflecting the strange glow of the chandeliers above. Creatures from every corner of the supernatural world mingled, their auras shimmering like ripples in the air.
Every eye turned to us as we entered, the whispers beginning almost immediately. Adrian stiffened beside me, his grip on my arm tightening as the sea of eyes followed us. I saw the envy, the awe, the calculation. But I held my head high, letting the Siren in me rise to the surface, drawing their attention like moths to flame.
But even in this sea of power and beauty, there was one figure who stood out.
Talon.
He was across the room, standing like a storm waiting to break. The energy shifted the moment he saw me, and an unmistakable tension filled the air as he started to approach. His gaze was dark, intense, filled with an almost possessive hunger that hadn't dulled in all the time we'd been apart.
When he reached us, he ignored Adrian completely, his eyes fixed on mine. "Valeria," he murmured, his voice low, dangerous. "You're here."
"Yes, Talon." I kept my voice calm, cool, knowing his every instinct would try to rile me. I had to be careful—Talon was nothing if not volatile.
He was tall, commanding, his black hair falling perfectly around his face, his eyes dark pools of power. His presence radiated something primal, something that made the air heavy. His gaze locked onto mine the second he saw me, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
"Valeria," his voice was smooth, intoxicating, like velvet. "You look even more beautiful than I remember."
I didn't respond at first. Instead, I stepped closer to Adrian, the heat of his body grounding me. I felt his hand tighten around mine, the muscles in his arm tensing, his body language giving away the storm that raged inside him.
His gaze flicked briefly to Adrian, his eyes narrowing with barely-contained contempt. "And you brought… this mortal."
Adrian's grip tightened, and he squared his shoulders, meeting Talon's gaze without a hint of fear. "I'm here by her choice. You'd do well to remember that."
A smirk played at the corner of Talon's lips. "You have no idea what kind of choice that is. She belongs to our world. To me."
Adrian's voice was a whisper, but fierce. "She belongs to no one but herself."
Talon's power spiked, a wave of raw energy that washed over the room. Other supernaturals shifted uncomfortably, their gazes flicking between us, anticipation thickening the air.
"Valeria," Talon said, his tone softer but laden with authority, "we've waited long enough. It's time to make things official." He reached for my hand, his touch as familiar as it was possessive, and his eyes met mine with a dark, unyielding intent. "A binding contract. Between us. Beyond what mortal marriage could ever mean." he says louder
The murmurs around us intensified, and I felt Adrian's fury like a fire beside me. He stepped forward, his voice low, dangerous. "She doesn't need to be bound to anyone, least of all you."
Talon's gaze darkened, his focus now fully on Adrian, his voice like ice. "You're out of your depth, mortal. You think your feeble claim means anything here?"
Adrian's voice cut through the room, sharp, filled with something almost desperate. "It means everything because...I love her."
The crowd fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. I felt his confession like a physical blow, the raw vulnerability of it sinking in, exposing a part of him he never showed.
Talon's gaze darkened. "You are a fool," he said, his voice barely more than a growl. "Valeria is mine. She always has been. And I will not let a mortal stand between us."
The words hung in the air like a warning, and the tension in the room was thick.
The moment Talon's words left his mouth, his power surged, a wave of dark energy that rippled across the room, pushing against the very fabric of reality. Adrian stood beside me, the warmth of his body a comforting contrast to the sheer force Talon was unleashing. My eyes flicked to him in warning, and I felt a surge of urgency in my chest—Talon's next move would be catastrophic if left unchecked.
Before I could react, a brilliant flash of light encased Adrian and me, a shimmering barrier of pure radiance that shielded us from Talon's overwhelming power. The light came from me, a protective cocoon born of instinct—a flicker of my siren magic that held back Talon's fury with a force that was as ancient as the ocean's tide.
Talon's eyes flicked to the barrier, fury written across his face. He snarled, the air around him crackling with energy, but he didn't move. His eyes burned with a feral rage, his body trembling with the sheer force of his power. "You think this will stop me, Valeria?" he spat, his voice low and dangerous.
"I'll protect him," I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm that raged within me. I wouldn't let him have Adrian. Not like this. Not when the mortal man I had chosen stood by my side, refusing to bow to Talon's will.
Talon's lip curled, and before I could brace myself, he reached forward, his hand cutting through the air with a crackle of magic. The moment his fingers brushed the edge of the barrier, the cocoon of light flickered, shimmering as if struggling to hold against the raw power he was directing at it.
Then, without warning, Talon reached out and grabbed my arm, his grip like iron. His touch was cold, sending a shiver through my body, and for a moment, I was frozen. His power surged through me, a binding magic that threatened to pull me toward him, toward a fate I had fought against for so long.
"No!" I shouted, my voice sharp, and with a flick of my wrist, I wrenched my arm from his grasp, the light surrounding me flickering violently as if reacting to the force of his touch.
But Talon's expression didn't waver. He looked at me with an intensity that spoke volumes—he wasn't going to let me go this time. "This is it, Valeria," he said, his voice low and full of dark satisfaction. "The binding begins. You will belong to me—body, soul, eternity."
The room seemed to hold its breath, every supernatural being in the gala watching us as if caught in the eye of a storm. Then, something shifted in the air— A presence entered the room, so powerful, so ancient, that it made every supernatural being freeze in place. The temperature in the room dropped, and the lights flickered. The whispers fell silent. The murmur of magic that had thrummed through the room like a pulse came to a screeching halt. Every supernatural creature, from the most powerful demon to the lowliest witch, fell to their knees in reverence, their heads bowed.
The Oracle had arrived.
A figure cloaked in shimmering silver and gold stepped into the center of the room, her presence overwhelming, nearly blinding in its intensity. The light around her seemed to shift and change, bending reality itself. She was a being beyond mortal comprehension, a force of nature wrapped in human form.
The Oracle's eyes were luminous, glowing with a soft, otherworldly light. When she spoke, her voice was a symphony, carrying the weight of countless ages. "Enough," she said, her voice echoing through the room like a command from the heavens themselves.
Talon's expression shifted from anger to something darker—something closer to desperation—as the Oracle's gaze fell on him. He stood frozen, his hold on my arm loosening, but he didn't release me. I could feel his reluctance, but there was no defiance in his gaze. He had come to face the Oracle, but it was clear that whatever she spoke of—whatever she commanded—was far beyond his control.
"I will not let you take her," Talon growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "She is mine, Oracle. She always has been."
The Oracle's eyes turned to Talon, unblinking. "You are mistaken, Talon," she said, her voice calm but filled with the weight of prophecy. "Valeria does not belong to you. You never understood her bond—her true nature."
Talon's face twisted in fury. "She is bound to me. She always will be!"
But the Oracle shook her head, her voice steady, as though she had seen this moment play out a thousand times before. "No. She is bound to another. You have been blind, Talon. You always have been."
Talon's expression flickered, confusion settling into his features. "To whom?" he demanded, his voice strained. "Who could she possibly be bound to, if not me?"
The Oracle turned her gaze on me then, her eyes piercing through to my soul. She saw everything—my past, my fears, my desires, the bond between Adrian and me that had yet to fully take shape. She saw the truth, even if I had been too afraid to acknowledge it.
"There," the Oracle said, her voice soft but filled with power. "The one who stands beside her, the one whose love she has accepted—Adrian."
The room fell into stunned silence. Talon's eyes locked onto Adrian, and for the briefest moment, I saw a flicker of something akin to recognition, as though he had sensed the truth but had refused to believe it.
"The bond between Valeria and Adrian is ancient. It is of a power beyond even you, Talon. A bond that was forged before time itself—a bond of fate, of choice, and of destiny." The oracle's eyes locked onto mine, her gaze filled with something knowing. "You are bound to him, not by force, but by the very essence of your being. A bond that you cannot unmake, no matter how powerful you are."
Talon's expression shifted, his lips curling in contempt. "You lie. She belongs to me. She always has."
The oracle's gaze turned sharp, unyielding. "You are mistaken. The bond between Adrian and Valeria cannot be broken, Talon. Not by you. Not by anyone."
Talon recoiled, his chest heaving with disbelief. His fingers clenched, crackling with power as if preparing to strike, but the oracle didn't flinch. Instead, the oracle stepped closer to me, her presence overwhelming.
She raised her hands in the air, the energy in the room shifting, swirling. "Adrian, come forward."
Adrian stepped toward the oracle, his eyes never leaving mine. He seemed hesitant, but the pull of the oracles' power was undeniable. As he stood beside me, I felt the magic in the air thicken, coiling around him like a living thing.
"This bond," she began, her voice soft yet filled with a certainty that resonated through every fiber of my being, "is not one of possession. It is one of true connection. A bond that has formed over lifetimes, unspoken, but always present."
The light from the oracle's hand pulsed against Adrian's chest, and suddenly, Adrian's eyes glowed—piercing, bright, and unyielding, like mine. The transformation was instant, as if something deep within him had awakened. His eyes, once mortal, now shimmered with the ethereal glow of my own.
His voice, when it came, was steady, almost unfamiliar. "I understand now"
The oracle nodded, her gaze filled with something akin to approval. "The magic of your bond has awakened. It is eternal, Adrian. As eternal as Valeria's soul."
Talon's face twisted with rage. "No! This cannot be! I will not accept it!"
His power surged again, but the oracles stood unshaken, her calm presence swallowing his fury. The Oracle stepped toward him, her hand raised to silence him.
"Talon," she said, her voice firm, "you cannot change fate. You cannot change this bond. Adrian is bound to Valeria as surely as the stars are bound to the sky. Your claim is nothing but a shadow in the face of what is written in the fabric of time."
The tension in the room was suffocating, but the words of the oracle rang out like a bell tolling the death of something that had never been meant to be. Talon's rage sputtered, his power flickering in the wake of the oracle's decree.
He took a step back, his fists clenched, his chest heaving with barely-contained fury. His eyes flicked from Adrian to me, the dark power in him seething.
"I will not accept this," he growled. "I will never accept it."
The oracle's eyes narrowed."Talon. The truth is simple and undeniable. Valeria was never meant to be claimed by anyone. Not by you, not by anyone who tries to bend her to their will. The bond she shares with Adrian is her own choice, her own power."
Talon recoiled as if struck, his anger giving way to disbelief. The room was still as death, every supernatural being watching, waiting for his response.
The Oracle's presence, towering and unshakable, filled the room with an unspoken authority. Her gaze softened for a brief moment as she turned to me. "You have chosen your path, Valeria," she said, her voice full of an ancient, knowing compassion. "And it will not be swayed, not by Talon, not by anyone."
Talon, though clearly shaken, took a step back, his eyes still locked on me. He looked like a man who had just been told his very existence was a lie, his claim to me shattered in an instant. But still, there was something raw in his gaze, a hunger for something he couldn't have. "You cannot escape me forever, Valeria," he warned, his voice low and menacing, though tinged with uncertainty. "I will come for you. And when I do, it won't be a matter of choice anymore. It will be fate."
The Oracle's eyes narrowed, and with one last piercing look at Talon, she spoke, her voice resonating with finality. "Fate has already chosen, Talon. Your time is up. Leave her be."
Talon glared at Adrian, his expression full of silent fury, but finally, he turned and strode away, his power dissipating with every step, like a storm retreating into the distance. The tension in the room began to dissipate, but the air still crackled with residual magic and unspoken emotions.
Adrian stepped closer to me, his hand finding mine once again, and I felt his warmth and steadiness seep into me. The crowd, though still watching with curiosity, seemed to lose interest, their attention shifting back to their own affairs.
The Oracle, her presence still heavy, took a step back, her gaze shifting from me to Adrian. "Be careful, Valeria," she warned softly. "Talon's power isn't easily forgotten, and neither is his obsession."
"I know," I whispered, though the weight of her words felt heavier than it ever had before.
Adrian squeezed my hand gently, and I turned to him, seeing the protective fierceness in his eyes, the way he was silently promising me that no one, not even Talon, would ever take me from him.
The gala continued, the tension easing, though the effects of Talon's presence still lingered in the air. Adrian and I found a quieter corner, away from prying eyes. I felt exhausted, the emotional strain of the night weighing heavily on me, but a sense of relief washed over me as well.
Adrian took my hand, his thumb tracing small circles over my skin. "I meant what I said," he murmured, his gaze intent. "I love you."
I looked into his eyes, seeing the genuine love and strength there, the quiet determination that had become his trademark. "I know," I replied softly, squeezing his hand.
He pulled me close, his arm wrapping around my waist, grounding me in the warmth of his embrace. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe—not just from Talon, but from everything that had haunted me.