He hesitated, and in that pause she caught it—the flicker of vulnerability breaking through his expression. “The Achaeans aren’t all as understanding as you.”
He inched closer, narrowing the distance between them until she had to tilt her chin to meet his gaze. She swallowed hard, trying to steady the flutter rising in her chest, but it refused to be silenced.
For one tantalising moment, his warm breath fanned across her face, and his eyes dropped to her lips, lingering there as if already tasting them in his mind.
“Stop looking at me like that.” Her voice wavered despite her best effort to sound firm.
That familiar, infuriating smile tugged at his mouth—playful, but edged with something far more dangerous. “Like what?”
“You knowwhat,” she hissed.
“Like I want to kiss you?” His gaze captured hers, and the tension between them stretched taut as a bowstring, quivering on the verge of release. “Because it’s the truth. Since you left, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. About you… Every. Damn. Day.”
Her heart stuttered and squeezed. A fierce, undeniable spark kindled deep inside.
Nik leaned in, the sudden closeness making it impossible to think, to breathe. She should have pushed him away, should have drawn a line between them—but her body betrayed her, rooted in place, every nerve alive with tingling heat.
“There’s something real between us,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that slid down her spine. “There has been since the day I met you in the arena. And it scares you as much as it scares me.” His eyes darkened, the teasing edge replaced by something heavier. “So go ahead, run back to him. Go back to the Black Helmets. But I’ll be right here, sweetheart—waiting for the day you stop lying to yourself about us.”
The weight of his words churned a storm inside her, one she wasn’t ready to face. The intensity in his stare wasn’t just desire—it was reverence, as if she were the centre of his world, a goddess in her own right. It thrilled her. It terrified her. Because not even Dorias had ever looked at her like that.
And yet, no matter how much she was affected by Nik, her loyalty belonged to Dorias. The legate held her heart, and nothing would change that.
Katell pulled back sharply. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Nik’s expression shuttered, and a tightness seized her chest. Before either of them could speak again, the sound of approaching footsteps cut through the charged silence, and Nik stepped away. The sudden distance gave her room to breathe—though her pulse still hammered in her throat.
The door creaked open, and Alena appeared in the dim light, her brow furrowed, her expression steeled with a determination Katell knew all too well.
Aside from the unusual pallor of her face, she appeared unharmed—no cuts, no bruises—only a relentless resolve that made it clear she was on a mission.
“You need to leave,” Alena said, turning to Katell.
“Leave?” Katell lifted her bound wrists. “How?”
“We’re breaking you out,” Alena replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. “We’re sending you back to the Twelfth.”
Katell blinked, stunned.
Nik frowned. “Alena, don’t be rash. The Tirynthians are our allies, and Katell is their prisoner. I know you want to help, but?—”
“They want to execute her,” Alena snapped.
Katell’s breath caught. Execute her?
Nik’s usual calm fractured, replaced by cold fury. “Theywhat?”
“I overheard the council,” Alena said.
Nik raised an eyebrow. “You were supposed to be resting.”
“I was. But I sent one of the wolves to spy in the gardens.” She brushed off his concern with a flick of her hand. “Never mind that. The Twelfth gave the queen an ultimatum—return Kat, or they’ll slaughter every village from here to Argos.”
A mix of disbelief and rage surged through Katell. “By the Moon…” Her fists clenched as she fought to keep her anger from spilling over. Such cruelty had Tarchun written all over it. She would throttle him the next time they met.
“The council doesn’t want to give you back,” Alena continued, her tone grim. “They think you’re too dangerous. They’d rather kill you than let you go.”
The gravity of the situation settled over them, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation.
