Adrian's POV
The night had been overwhelming in every sense of the word, but in the best possible way. The connection between Valeria and me—something more than just physical, something deeper, more powerful—had irrevocably shifted. And now, we were no longer just two souls entwined by lust and desire. We were bound. Forever. And I knew it. The mark on my chest, the faint glow beneath my skin, was a constant reminder that I had claimed her, and she had claimed me in return.
I lay beside her, my body still thrumming with energy. Her back was pressed against my chest, and I could feel the heat of her skin seeping into mine, mingling with the pulse of my own blood. The weight of the night settled around us, but there was no denying the intensity of what we had just shared. Her warmth radiated through the sheets, the same warmth that still lingered between us, even now, after the storm had passed.
She was breathing softly, the steady rhythm of her chest against mine a calming lullaby after the chaos. But I knew that beneath the calm, there was a storm still brewing in her. I could feel the tension in her body, just as I could feel it in my own. This wasn't just about passion. It was something deeper, something that had become a part of us.
The mark. Our bond. It was undeniable, irreversible.
I shifted slightly, brushing her tangled hair from her face. Her violet eyes flickered open, and in that instant, I saw the same recognition in them—the same awareness that this connection was not just a fleeting moment, but something permanent, something that would change everything.
Her fingers found the mark on my chest, her touch light but steady, tracing the edges of it as if confirming that it was real. And in that moment, I felt it again, the surge of energy that had coursed through us, making us feel both alive and consumed by something more than just desire.
"It's real," I muttered, my voice a low growl, almost to myself. "This... what we've done. It's real."
She nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving mine. "Yes," she whispered, her voice thick with the same emotion that gripped me. "It's real."
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of her words settle deep within me. Talon had tried to intervene, tried to destroy this. But it was too late. This bond couldn't be broken. It was sealed. And I had marked her as mine.
Her fingers continued to trace the mark, sending a jolt of fire through me, and I couldn't help but pull her closer. I wanted to feel every inch of her against me, to remind myself that this was real—that we were real.
The sound of her breath hitched slightly as she responded, pressing herself further into my chest. Her skin felt like velvet against mine, her warmth seeping into me, igniting something that burned in my veins. I wasn't sure if I could ever get enough of her, or if I even wanted to.
"Talon won't understand," I murmured, the name of my rival leaving my lips with a mixture of anger and something more. Fear, perhaps. Fear that his obsession with her might not be done, no matter how much I had claimed her.
Valeria's hand slid to my jaw, her touch gentle but firm. "We'll deal with him," she said, her voice quiet but resolute. "Together."
The finality in her words settled into my chest like a weight I didn't want to carry, but I knew it was true. We were in this together. This bond was ours alone, and no one—not Talon, not even the world—could take that from us. The mark on my chest, the mark on hers—it was proof of that. Proof of everything that had happened between us.
I pulled her face up to mine, capturing her lips in a kiss that was slow at first but quickly turned desperate. The need for her was a constant, burning thing inside me, and as I kissed her, it only intensified. My hands roamed over her body, reacquainting myself with every curve, every inch of her soft, heated skin.
Her body responded to mine, melting against me, her chest pressing harder into mine as our kiss deepened. She pulled me closer, her hands gripping my back with a kind of urgency that mirrored my own. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. We were past all of that. This was ours.
I pulled away just enough to look into her eyes, my breath coming in heavy gasps. "I won't let him take you from me," I said, my voice low, almost a growl. The possessiveness in my tone was unmistakable. She was mine now. And no one would touch her again. Not even Talon.
"I'm already yours," she replied softly, her words laced with a confidence that took my breath away. "I've always been."
And that was all I needed to hear. In one fluid motion, I flipped us over, my body pinning hers to the bed. The fire inside me burned hotter as I kissed her again, more urgently this time, my hands roaming lower.
The mark on her chest, right where my heart beat in sync with hers, pulsed between us. I could feel the power of our connection surge, wrapping around us in a protective cocoon. The bond was like a living thing, pulsing with energy, a promise that nothing would ever break it.
A sudden burst of power—Talon's power—rushed toward us, but it didn't matter. I felt it, the surge of his energy, but it was nothing compared to the force between us. As if on instinct, I reached out, my hand resting over Valeria's chest, just above the mark.
"Stay with me," I whispered, my voice thick with need. And then, without hesitation, I let the energy in me surge, a burst of light erupting from my chest.
The light wrapped around us, encasing us in a protective shield, blocking out everything else. It was a tangible force, something that I had never experienced before, but it was as if my very soul had willed it into existence. The power between us was too strong, too real to be stopped. Talon's attempts to intervene only met the resistance of the force I had created.
I could hear him, his growls and frustrated screams muffled by the sound of Valeria's breath against my skin, the sounds of our lovemaking filling the space between us. The pulse of energy between us only grew stronger, reinforcing the bond, marking her as mine—claiming her in every sense of the word.
I continued, pushing past any resistance, my body moving with hers, claiming her completely. There was no going back now. We were bound in a way that Talon could never understand. And even as his presence lingered, his power fizzled out, useless in the face of what we had become.
With each movement, with each touch, the mark on her chest and mine burned brighter, sealing the bond between us. The light enveloping us flickered and pulsed, a physical manifestation of our connection, pushing back everything that threatened to tear us apart.
I could feel the moment her body tensed, her own release coming in time with mine, the energy between us sparking in a way that had nothing to do with the physical world. It was something deeper—ancient, primal. The very fabric of our souls had intertwined, bound by fate, sealed with the mark of our love.
We collapsed together, breathless, the light around us slowly dimming, but the bond between us remained, stronger than ever. The mark on my chest pulsed softly, and I could feel hers matching the rhythm, a constant reminder that we were one now.
And Talon? Talon could scream, could rage all he wanted. He would never take her from me. Not now. Not ever.
Because Valeria was mine. Forever. And no one—nothing—could change that.