“Say it,” Nyx growled, his voice low and hoarse, laced with something primal. “What I’ve known since the moment our eyes met. What I felt the first time I kissed you—like the stars aligned just for us. What bound us on Solstice night.”

You turned your face away, jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. The silence between you vibrated with tension, heavy and electric.

Nyx took a step closer, shadows curling at his feet, wings flaring in agitation. His voice broke through the stillness, louder now—ragged, aching. “I am your mate, gods damn it! You are mine! Why are you still running from what’s already written in our souls?”