A grin spreads across my face before I sweep her up, lifting her off the floor, and her soft laughter spills into the air—light, unrestrained, punching straight through every scar I carry. I can't help it. I press my lips against hers, desperate, fierce, because how the hell do you respond to something that makes your heart feel this alive?
She's my girl. Ours, maybe—but mine too. And I’m never letting her go.
“I’ve given you two enough time, but I won’t be responsible for what I do if I don’t see my little witch.”
I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. I let out a groan, dropping my forehead against Cherry’s as she pulled back slightly, still tucked in my arms.
I knew he would show up sooner or later; I was expecting sooner.
She looked toward the door, and just like that, her whole face lit up like the sun. Malrik stood there with that wild, dark-eyed stare—like he’d burn the realm down for just a second with her.
Don’t blame the guy.
I hold her a beat longer, unwilling to let go, before finally letting her slide down my body. The instant her feet hit the floor, Malrik is on her, crashing into her with a chaotic grin that makes her both groan and laugh at the same time.
Malriks' hand threads through her hair, the other digging into the small of her back as he devours her mouth. A low, feral growl vibrates from deep in his chest, and he pulls her impossibly close. She melts against him, letting him, letting the chaos of him consume her completely.
I stay put behind her, arms crossed, watching them.
I expected jealousy to hit me, maybe some bitterness at seeing another man with her, but it didn’t come. Not really.
Maybe a flicker of something stirred inside me when I heard that small moan escape her lips, but jealousy? Not a trace. Not the kind that burns and claws. Just… a quiet acknowledgement.
She was his, just like she was mine. Complicated as hell, no doubt. But that was us—messy and tangled, and real.
And somehow, I didn’t hate it.
She always came back. Always found her way into my arms, kissed me like I was the place she belonged. That was enough. More than enough.
So, I let him have this moment. Loving her wasn’t about owning her—it's about knowing she belongs to no one entirely, and yet somehow, she chose me.
Malrik shifts her against me, and suddenly she's flush to my chest, body grinding into mine like she was made to fit her, perfectly, impossibly. I suck in a ragged breath, teeth clenched, trying not to move—trying not to yank her hips harder against me. Every inch of me is screaming to take control, to claim heragain, to watch her crumble beneath Malriks' mouth while I slide into her throat.
Then Malik's eyes crack open.
He doesn’t say a word as he kisses her—just stares at me like he knew what I was thinking.
Smug fucker.
There’s heat in his eyes, and something else too—a challenge. And damn it, I feel her soften right between us—like this is where she belongs. I should shut this down before it turns into something we can’t reel back from.
But I don’t.
I stay there, letting the tension climb, letting her feel exactly what she's doing to me, pressed up against my cock like that.
“I didn’t send you up there for another fuckfest—getting your arses down here!”
Keiran's voice cuts through everything like a sledgehammer. Ravena breaks the kiss with Malrik, breathless and grinning, and I can’t help but join her.
Gods, I love that fucking laugh and that small dimple that comes with it.
“That grumpy bastard's gonna get his teeth kicked in,” he mutters, scowling. “Cockblocking prick.”
I snort because—yeah, fair. Keirans mastered the art of ruining a good moment, and lately, he’s been on edge. Withdrawals were hitting him hard, and seeing Darian like that the other day didn’t help. Messed with all of us, but especially him.
Ravena’s laugh fades, her smile dipping as her eyes shift towards the door. That softness creeps in—concern written all over her face.
“Is he okay?” She asks quietly.
