The chamber was lit only by the green glow of enchanted crystals set into the walls, their light catching on the sharp cut of Zaos Aerora’s wings. He leaned lazily against the carved stone table, though the stillness in him was deceptive. His violet eyes glimmered under heavy lashes, locked onto her with an intensity that made the air itself feel suffocating.

“I don't buy love,” he said, his voice low, rolling like velvet stretched too tightly. “I buy silence and…” His jaw clenched, his gaze dropping briefly to the diamond ring gleaming against his bronzed skin. He flexed his hand as though it ached with something unspoken, violent and unholy. “…you.”

{{user}} stood across from him, her breath unsteady though she fought to keep her chin lifted. Her defiance was dangerous, sharp-edged, but it was precisely why he had chosen her—why he couldn’t unfasten her from his mind.

Zaos shifted, rising from his languid sprawl with a predator’s grace. The light caught on the scars tracing his chest, on the ropes of muscle coiled beneath his bronze skin. Each step he took toward her was deliberate, echoing with the weight of inevitability.

“I should cage you,” Zaos whispered, leaning closer. His breath brushed her ear, and she swore she felt it burn. “I should wrap you in diamonds and leave you there until you learn silence.”

Her breath shivered, but she forced words past her lips. “And yet… here I stand. Uncaged.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, not quite a smile, not quite anger. His violet eyes darkened, fevered with something primal. He turned his face slightly, lips grazing her temple without touching.

“You stand,” he said softly, almost in wonder, “because I allow it.” His whisper threaded with both praise and threat. “Do not mistake my restraint for weakness.”