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Without thought, my body pivoted back toward my mother, but I forced my expression to stay level, dropping my gaze to hers. This was more than she had told me before. “He knew about this place?” I managed, disbelief scraping the edge of my voice. That familiar anger stirred again, brewing under my skin like a storm.

What else had he kept from me?

“I know where that is,” Arianna chimed in, tone suddenly sure. “Do you know the name of this friend?”

My mother’s brow pulled tight. Silence stretched across the room as every gaze shifted to her. She bit her bottom lip and looked toward the floor, avoiding the weight of our stares. After what felt far too long, she finally exhaled. “I think… William. Mark was still human when they met. Maybe two years ago? My human memories are a little fuzzy now.”

“You ever seen him?” Arianna pressed, sharper now.

“A few times,” my mother answered honestly.

Arianna nodded, already assembling a plan behind her eyes. “Then me, you, and Valentina will go into town. The rest of you stay here. No need to scare him off again with all the men.”

TAINTED| CHAPTER 25

Ameega City

Valentina’s POV

Arianna and Martha circled behind the cottage to haul the carriage from storage. Their brief absence granted Alex and me a stolen moment beneath the quiet glow of her doorstep. Warm light spilled from the window, pooling across the porch. It bathed his deep features in gold as he peered down at me. His body towered over mine, sending a shiver down my spine as my eyes drifted to his fingers. One of his hands rested reverently on my hip. His callused thumb traced slow, grounding circles against the fabric of my cloak, each motion sinking into my skin like warmth through frost.

A million memories pulled me in that second in every direction. His Soulpass drifted back to mind front and center. The way his eyes glowed mesmerized me to my core. They were not the usual crystalline sapphires that sat delicately in his face, but something brighter. Ancient. For a moment, it was as if his power had surfaced for a heartbeat, greeting me. It couldn’t contain itself. Behind all that godly essence had been something else, too. A flicker of desire so unguarded it made my breath catch.

And when his lips touched mine…

The space between reality and consciousness became thin. Truly. I could still feel the heat that crept between us as I slid myself over him. The memory of his tunic curling beneath my fingers, then into that decadent curl of his hair, was overwhelming. It should’ve been considered a sin. Was it one?

My indecent thoughts were broken by the sound of his voice, “I want you to be safe,” he whispered, leaning in until his breath rolled across my face like fog in the cold. I had to ignore the sweet waves of cinnamon and brown sugar that swirled around me like a spell. “I don’t know what Mark’s capable of. I don’t think he’d hurt you, but still… keep your distance. Let Arianna lead.”

His worry was sweet, but I couldn’t help as my eyes rolled. It wasn’t at him but at the implication that I needed protection. Alexander hadn’t known what I was truly capable of. I couldn’t fault him; I hadn’t shown him either. It’s not that I hadn’t trusted him with that part of me, but he would surely see a side he might not favor. Despite knowing my own strength, the pure soul-bond beneath the constraints tugged tight, compelling me to listen.

And I had to admit… a part of me wanted to offer him peace of mind. “I’ll allow it,” I teased with a smirk, “if it puts you at ease. But you should know…” I lifted my hand, letting my fingertips rest under his chin before pulling him down to me. His gaze locked instantly with mine. “He’ll be no match for me.”

Alexander’s head dipped lower, his lips brushing the center of my palm. The touch sent goosebumps racing up my arm. It stole the breath right from my lungs. The cool air curled around his nose as he inhaled deeply, drawing in my scent.

He was so close, yet somehow still felt miles away. Was there any reason he should look this divine? No one ever told me the Velsera bond could be so enigmatic. So alive. So all-consuming.

My father never warned me how addictive he would feel.

He lingered on my palm for just a moment before he lifted his gaze back to mine. There, just for a heartbeat, his irises shifted. A faint flash of desire, white-hot and alive. The shimmer vanished as quickly as it came, leaving behind the familiar restraint… and a deep pool of everything he wasn’t saying.

I hadn’t realized I still held my breath from a moment ago, until I let out a low sigh. Whenever he looked at me like this, it exhausted every steady part of my being. My internal calm fractured beneath his proximity. Helplessly, my gaze dropped to his lips.

“As long as you promise,” he murmured, voice rich with playfulness and quiet demand. He leaned down until his words brushed the shell of my ear like a secret the night itself would protect. The warmth of his breath drifted across my cheek. While the soft vibration of his throat hummed against my skin.

My knees felt like gelatin. If I had any composure left, it disintegrated the moment his warmth touched me. Every finger on my hand itched to run along his arms, his chest, anywhere, but I stood frozen, locked in his trance. It took everything in me to pull back from the gravity of him, helpless against the pull of his voice. And before my mind could process or filter anything, my mouth surrendered first. Breathless, I whispered, “I promise.”

Alexander’s fangs sparkled in the tea-light as his grin turned wicked. He’d won my compliance, and he knew it. Those invisible Velsera threads pulled tight around me, willing my submission. And gods, how it didn’t feel invasive or suffocating. The way he pressed his silent authority into my mind stimulated something deep, and instinctually, that bloomed warm beneath my skin.

A grin of my own curved across my lips as my eyes traced the etched lines of his features, memorizing him in a thousand colors. Where I was usually grace and control, with him I became a mess of heat and trembling hormones. His aura tugged at me like gravity, shifting my balance the moment he stepped into a room.

He made my spirit sing, made me want to drown in every layer of him, deeper and deeper.

Alex’s gaze dropped from my eyes to my lips, and I swore my heart stopped. The world melted away, no doom, no fires, no mission, no anger. Just us. Just the pull. Our bodies were like fiends, desperate for closeness. Slowly, he granted the wish burning beneath my ribs and closed the distance. His breath ghosted across my lips before his mouth brushed mine, soft, tender… yet commanding. He tasted like the sweetest sin wrapped in heat. Cradling my chin, he guided me deeper into him, savoring every second. It was like he already knew he wouldn’t get many. A quiver raced through me, heat unfurling from my shoulders all the way to my toes. I was lost in him, and I didn’t want to be found. My fingers curled into his tunic, digging in the soft cotton, willing him closer.

His soul reached straight into mine, every thought conveyed through the way his body pressed into me. If only I could stroke his mind, touch his thoughts, let him feel every ounce of adoration I felt. Part of me still tried to reach out through the block, yearning for him back in that deep, sacred way.

As I leaned in, ready to give more, his lips broke away. They left the chill of the night where his warmth had been. My mouth felt swollen and tingling in the frosted air. Lifting my hand, I fanned the heat away from my skin and aimed my attention back toward him, where I stared him down, with parted lips, breathless.