Will’s POV

She’s not supposed to be here. Not tonight. Not in the shadows. Not in my world.

But there she is—standing under the streetlight like a secret I was never meant to see again. Laughing with strangers, wrapped in black and wildness, her eyes scanning the street like she knows something’s coming.

And maybe she does. Maybe she feels it the way I do—like gravity tugging at a wire strung too tight between us.

I don’t hesitate. Michal, Kai and Damon call my name, but I don’t answer. I peel off from the pack, slip through the smoke and noise, and head straight for her.

She catches me a few feet away—eyes locking with mine, recognition flickering behind the disbelief.

“You’re not even trying to blend in,” she says, arms folded, deflecting with that sharp tongue I know too well.

“I’m wearing a mask,” I shoot back. “That’s basically stealth.”

She gives me a look. I soak it in.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, voice low.

Her friends hover behind her, unsure whether to stay or bolt. She waves them off without a word. Like she only sees me now.

“I needed air,” she says. “Didn’t know I’d be breathing in your chaos.”

My jaw tics. I step closer.

“You shouldn’t be out here.”

“You are.”

“That’s different.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the danger.”

She laughs under her breath, but there’s no amusement in it. “Please. If anything happens, I know exactly where you’ll be—right next to me, fists up.”

She’s not wrong.

“Still,” I say. “This night doesn’t deserve you.”

She looks at me for a long second. Like she’s searching for something. Or maybe remembering everything we never said.

Then she leans in just a little. Just enough to kill me.

“Then don’t let it take me.”

And just like that—I’m hers all over again