"Climb into bed," he said, pulling back the dark sheets.
Jade hesitated at the edge of the four-poster bed. Earlier, she'd sat on top of the covers, maintaining some distance even while invading his privacy. But this felt monumental—actually getting into Raikar's bed, accepting his care, letting him hold her.
Once I'm in there with him, everything changes.
But her body made the choice for her, exhaustion and the lingering effects of the panic attack overriding her mental resistance. She slipped between the sheets, the cotton soft against her skin. The mattress dipped as Raikar joined her. Without asking permission, he pulled her against his side, his warm skin chasing away the last of her chills as his arms encircled her.
Heat flooded her system instantly—not just from his body temperature, but from the desire that sparked to life where their skin touched. Through their partial mate bond, Jade felt his own desire flare in response, a feedback loop of want that made her breath catch.
But he made no move to act on it. Instead, he simply held her, one hand stroking her damp hair while the other traced gentle circles on her bare shoulder.
He could take advantage of this moment. I'm vulnerable, overwhelmed, partially bonded to him. But he's just... comforting me.
They lay in silence for long minutes, and Jade found herself relaxing into his embrace in ways she'd never allowed herself with anyone. The steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear, the rise and fall of his chest, the scent of his skin—it allcombined to create a cocoon of safety she hadn't experienced since childhood.
I could stay like this forever. Just us, no trials, no councils, no complications. Just this warmth and this feeling of being... chosen.
The thought should have terrified her. She'd spent her entire life avoiding exactly this kind of emotional dependence. But lying here in Raikar's arms, she couldn't seem to summon her usual fear about being vulnerable.
Maybe it's not the mate bond making me feel this way. Maybe it's just... him.
She thought about everything he'd done since she'd arrived—protecting her from the rogue panther, tending her wound, publicly claiming her despite the political risk, apologizing repeatedly for his mistakes, and now caring for her through her breakdown without asking for anything in return.
Ben never fought for me like this. Hell, no one ever has.
Through their connection, she felt the complex tangle of Raikar's emotions—his protective instincts prowling just beneath the surface, his guilt over the deception and accidental marking, his desire for her that he was ruthlessly suppressing in favor of her needs. But underneath it all, steady and unshakeable, was something that made her throat tight with emotion.
Love. Pure, devoted, unwavering love that would cross any distance, face any trial, sacrifice any comfort for her well-being.
He really would do anything for me, wouldn't he? Risk his title, his legacy, everything his family built—just so I'd stay by his side.
The words she wanted to say hovered on her lips—that she'd do the Trial of Shadow with him, that she wanted to rebuild the trust between them, that maybe she was ready to stop running from connection for once in her life.
But the warmth of his embrace, the security of his scent surrounding her, and the bone-deep exhaustion from the day's revelations pulled her toward sleep instead. Her eyelids grew heavy as his hand continued its gentle stroking through her hair, and for the first time in three years—since the night her adoptive mother had died and left her truly alone in the world—Jade felt completely, utterly safe.
Tomorrow I'll tell him. Tomorrow I'll be brave enough to choose this.
Sleep claimed her before she could voice the decision, but even in unconsciousness, she remained curled against Raikar's solid warmth, their partial bond humming contentedly between them like a promise of what they could build together.
Sunlight spilled through the tall windows, painting golden streaks across the rumpled sheets where Jade lay cocooned in warmth. For a disorienting moment, she couldn't remember where she was. Then the events of yesterday crashed back—the rogue panther, the earth-shattering sex, the accidental marking, the revelations about fated mates and orchestrated meetings.
All of that happened in one day. How is that even possible?
She stretched languidly, her muscles protesting from yesterday's training and the emotional rollercoaster that followed. The space beside her was empty, but the sheets still held traces of Raikar's body heat and that intoxicating scent that caused her pulse to spike. She felt his absence like a physical ache in her chest—not overwhelming but persistent.
He's probably giving me space to process everything.
Yesterday had been physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting in ways she'd never experienced. Learning to fight a panther, then actually being attacked by one. Having the most intense sexual encounter of her life, only to discover she'd been accidentally marked. Finding out everything about her arrival here had been orchestrated, that she was some fated mate in asupernatural bond she'd never known existed, and even if she had known, never would have believed in anyway.
Except the mate bond is undeniably real.
She glanced down at her left hip, where two distinct claw marks marred her skin—Raikar's partial mate mark, proof that everything he'd told her wasn't some elaborate delusion.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway made her pulse spike. When Raikar appeared in the doorway carrying a tray laden with food, her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.
"Perfect timing," he said, his deep voice carrying a hint of amusement as he approached the bed. Even in simple cargo pants and a fitted black shirt, he radiated that commanding presence that made her hyperaware of every inch of her skin. "I figured you were probably starving since you barely ate yesterday."
Right. I don't think I've eaten since breakfast yesterday.
