Malrik just winked at him and pulled out of me with a hiss.
But even in the heat of it, my thoughts pulled elsewhere.
Kieran.
He saw. Saw everything—me on my knees, used, worshipped. I didn’t know what that would mean… for him, for us. But the clarity that followed release made the weight of his presence settle heavier on my skin.
I looked up, but the spot between the trees was empty.
He was gone.
And the echo of his gaze still lingered on my bare skin.
Chapter 36
KIERAN
Fuck my life.
No matter what the hell I do, I can’t get her out of my head. I never could, not really, but now? After seeing her like that… naked, flushed, lost in pleasure, every sound she made burned into me. It’s seared into my brain like a brand. There’s no scrubbing it out, no pretending I didn’t watch her come apart.
I don’t even know why I walked into those damn woods. They creep me out. I’ve lived and served in Velmore for a long time, but never stepped into the Hollowborns woods.
But today… something gnawed at me. A pull I couldn’t shake, and it led me to her.
I lean back from the bike, let the spanner drop into the grass, and sit down next to Daleyza on the steps. She’s always been like this—silent company, steady presence when I needed someone to listen.
We may not share blood, but she’s my sister. No one can tell me otherwise.
She signs,You done?I give her a slight nod.
She grabs one of the cinnamon rolls made—still warm—and holds it out. I take it with a small half-smile I don’t quite feel, the sweetness a poor distraction from the weight that’s clawing at my chest. Also, the way I wanted to be the one burying myself so deep inside temptress she would feel me for days.
Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with you?She smiles brightly.Besides the fact you haven’t had alcohol in two weeks—which, by the way, is amazing.
I huff a quiet laugh through my nose and shake my head. “Doesn’t feel amazing.”
She raises an eyebrow, waiting.
“It’s nothing,” I add quickly, grabbing the cinnamon roll she gave me and taking a big bite so I don’t have to say anything else.
Is that why you’ve been avoiding Ravena all afternoon?
I keep chewing. Not answering feels easier than lying.
Truth is, I’ve been avoiding all of them since they got back. Malrik disappeared after reinforcing the blood ward, probably killing some helpless soul. Ronan's been reading with the temptress glued to his side. Drews is still passed out in the house, having a nap. And I have been hiding out here.
Daleyza taps her fingers against my knee to get my attention again.Kieran, you know the best thing about not being able to talk? People tend to forget I’m there. And that means I see a lot more than they think I do. Like the way you look at her.
I swallow the last bite of cinnamon roll, the sweetness suddenly bitter on my tongue, and stare at the ground.
It’s sad, really—how easily she says it.
Like she’s accepted being invisible.
She thinks no one notices her, because she can’t speak, and people forget she’s there. And maybe most do. But she’s always been sharper than the rest of us. She sees more. Feels more.
I was told people picked on her for her disability growing up—cruel little kids who didn’t know better, and even crueller adults who did. But Darian never let it slide. He stood up for her every single time. Apparently, Drew came home with bruises nearly every day, protecting her. He's an idiot, but he would do anything for his sister.
