Page 107 of House Ignis

"And I will wait," he whispered, leaning in until our foreheads touched. "I'll take whatever you can give me, until the day the gods name us fated."

My heart cracked clean in two. I didn't think about the sigil, or the shadows, or the silver eyes watching from the dark. I didn't think about the rules or the war. I just leaned forward and kissed him.

Hard.

My hands tangled in Jeremy's hair, my lips moving feverishly against his. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me onto his lap in one fluid motion, and my dress rode dangerously high up my thighs. The garden spun around us, mooncherry blossoms glowing above like scattered stardust—but I only felt him.

His hands gripped my waist, guiding me closer and anchoring me to him. My body responded on instinct, heat pooling in my core as I ground against him, chasing the thrill, the comfort, and the ache of everything we were. My fingers clutched at his shirt, feeling the taut lines of muscle beneath. His lips trailed to my jaw and then my neck, and a gasp escaped me, raw and needy. His fingers slipped under my thong, rubbing slow, agonizing circles between my thighs, and I was gasping for air.

"Gods, Ava," Jeremy groaned against my skin.

It was overwhelming. Familiar. It felt like home and heartbreak all at once. And still—through the blur of lust and longing—I felt it.

The bond.

A low hum, dark and electric, was stirring just beneath my skin. Asher. The pulse of it slithered up my spine, not invasive or even jealous this time, but simply aware. Present. And worse—aroused. My breath caught as my magic flickered.

Jeremy's mouth was on my collarbone now, and I couldn't help the soft moan that escaped me as his pace quickened. He was chasing my pleasure, and my body was betraying me again. The bond pulsed louder in response. Desire licked down my limbs like fire, and I knew—he was feeling this, too. Asher Maddox. Wherever he was in that house, he felt the friction, the heat, and the way my walls were crumbling.

I was absolutely, completely undone.

Jeremy's hands were everywhere—his touch unrelenting, his body grinding up against mine with heated precision. I could feel the hard length of him through his pants, the friction dizzying. My head lolled back as his fingers continued their torturous rhythm, coaxing every ragged tremble from my lips.

And then… he stopped.

I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to steady my runaway pulse. The bond buzzed beneath my skin like a live wire, humming with a mirrored want that wasn't Jeremy's. I looked down at him—at his flushed cheeks, his wild green eyes, and the sheer tenderness laced into his rough edges.

"Gods, Ava," he breathed, brushing my cheek with a shaking hand. "I'm the luckiest male alive… and so is fucking Asher."

His mouth crashed into mine again, fierce and desperate, claiming every part of me that hadn't already unraveled. But even as I kissed him back, my heart beat faster for another reason. A quiet, dreadful realization threaded through my mind.

I was caught between two storms. Two bonds. Two lives. Two fates. And as the gold sigil on my neck burned in time with the heartbeat of the male in the shadows, I wasn't sure which one would tear me apart first.

•••

I was stumbling back toward the party—not from alcohol, but because my legs were jelly, still trembling from the pleasure that had just exploded between my thighs.

Jeremy had kissed my forehead, his hand lingering on my waist before whispering that he had early training and wouldn't see me for a few days. He was being sent beyond the borders—a trial all second-years had to face. My heart skipped at that, but he smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll come back to you."

Back to me.

I barely registered the music pulsing through the walls as I stepped up to the front door. The party was still wild, students spilling across the marble floors, laughter and music echoing like a heartbeat. I couldn't find Maddy or Ryven anywhere, and Ember must've gone off with Ezra again. I pushed my way through the crowd, heat still coiled low in my stomach, and poured myself a glass of water just to have something to hold.

That's when the bond lit up. Like a spark striking dry kindling, it flared to life—hot, insistent, and jagged. He was close.

My eyes swept the crowd on instinct, and then I saw him.

Asher.

He was leaning back in one of the lounge seats like a damn king, a girl draped across his lap. Her legs were tangled around his waist, her red hair spilling over his shoulder in a messy curtain. His hands were on her ass, gripping her with a casual possessiveness that made my vision blur. His shadows curled lazily around her ankles, anchoring her to him.

And she was kissing his neck. Right over the spot where his bond mark lived.

My whole body locked. The bond roared in my mind, a primal, territorial snarl. Rage licked through it like wildfire, hotter and more violent than anything I'd felt all night.

"Hey, Ava! Where have you—whoa." Ember's voice came from beside me, sharp and concerned. "Ava, you're… you're on fire. Literally."

I didn't even look at her. My gaze was locked on him, searing through the distance.