The sun hadn't yet broken over the horizon when Ariana woke, the cold mountain air brushing against her skin. The twins stirred beside her, their small fingers entwined with hers, eyes wide and alert even before full consciousness claimed them.
She rose carefully, muscles aching from the previous night's battle. The ruins still echoed with power, residual energy that made her head spin with both adrenaline and exhaustion. Her mind raced—planning, calculating, protecting. She couldn't afford mistakes. Not when Jayden was this close.
He had stayed on watch again, moving through the ruins with silent grace. His golden eyes caught hers the moment she stepped outside the shelter, a faint flicker of tension passing through his gaze.
"You're up early," he said, voice low, but carrying that same undertone of restrained dominance that made her stomach twist.
"I didn't sleep well," she replied softly. "Too much… energy lingering."
Jayden's gaze didn't waver. He stepped closer, just enough that the warmth from his body seeped into hers. Every instinct in her screamed at her to step back, to pull the twins further from him, yet another part of her—the part that had never stopped wanting him—trembled at the nearness.
"I saw it last night," he said quietly, almost to himself. "The way they responded to me… to you."
Her breath caught. She knew what he was sensing, and she knew how dangerous it was. The twins were powerful. Their abilities weren't just emerging—they were reacting to him. He didn't know it yet, but his instincts were screaming at him.
"They're just… sensitive," she replied, keeping her voice steady, trying to sound casual. "Power doesn't mean anything until it's trained."
Jayden tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Sensitive? That's not just power. That's… recognition."
Her stomach sank. He was too close to realizing something she could never let him know. Not yet.
"Jayden," she said firmly, stepping between him and the twins, "don't—don't push. Not here. Not now."
He held her gaze, unblinking, golden eyes burning. "I'm not pushing. I just… need to understand what's going on. I've hunted, I've followed, I've lost… everything for five years. And now…" His voice dropped, low, intimate. "Now I find you—and I can feel it. You're hiding something from me."
Her pulse spiked, chest tightening. She wanted to argue, to deny, to push him away, but the weight of danger pressed down around them. And she knew he was right. She was hiding something—and it was bigger than him, bigger than the world outside.
Before she could respond, a sharp crack echoed through the ruins. Both she and Jayden froze, instincts flaring. Shadows detached themselves from the mist—three dark figures moving silently, deliberately, aiming straight for them.
Ariana acted instantly. She swept the twins behind a collapsed pillar and unleashed a pulse of protective energy. The air shimmered, the mist twisting violently as the attackers faltered for a moment.
Jayden didn't wait. He was there, moving with storm-like precision, energy and fangs, hands ripping through the nearest enemy before the others could strike.
Ariana watched him, heart hammering, chest aching with a mix of fear and desire. Every move he made was lethal, controlled, yet somehow intoxicating. Heat pooled low in her stomach, pulse racing, yet she knew she had to remain focused. Not just for her, but for the twins.
One of the attackers lunged toward the twins, a dark blade aimed at their small forms. Ariana felt a surge of panic, and instinctively, the twins reacted. Power erupted from their tiny hands, silver sparks flying, forming a protective shield around them.
Jayden froze mid-strike, eyes widening as the energy flared in response to his own aura. Recognition blazed inside him again—this was more than coincidence.
Ariana grabbed the twins, pulling them close. "Not here. Not now!" she shouted. Her voice trembled with fear, frustration, and something deeper, something she could barely name.
Jayden's golden eyes followed the children. His jaw clenched tightly. "They're yours," he muttered, almost to himself, voice rough.
She flinched. That was dangerously close. Too close to the truth.
"They're just… powerful," she said quickly, forcing a smile. "It doesn't mean anything—yet."
Jayden's gaze didn't leave them. "Doesn't mean anything?" His tone was low, dangerous, and intimate all at once. "You disappear for five years, come back with them, and I can feel the connection. Don't lie to me."
The twins stirred, sensing the tension. One of them whispered softly, almost unconsciously, "Father…"
Ariana's blood ran cold. She clamped a hand over the child's mouth instantly, heart hammering in panic.
Jayden froze. His eyes snapped to her. "What—?"
"Nothing," she said, voice tight, but the weight of what had almost happened pressed heavily between them.
He studied her, jaw tense. "You're hiding everything. And I know it."
She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "Not everything. Not yet."
A distant howl shattered the moment. The remaining attackers regrouped, closing in fast. Ariana's protective aura flared again, shielding the twins as Jayden leapt into battle without hesitation.
The fight was brutal, fast, and unrelenting. Ariana fought alongside him, their movements synchronized despite the tension crackling between them. Every brush of skin, every shared breath, sent sparks of awareness and desire through her body. She had to fight to keep her heart and mind in check, knowing that letting go—even for a moment—could give Jayden more than she was ready to reveal.
By the time the attackers fled, the night was heavy and silent again. Ariana collapsed against a stone pillar, breathing hard. Jayden approached, unbroken, golden eyes glowing faintly, gaze locked on her.
"You're hurt," he said softly, crouching beside her. His hand hovered just inches from hers, hesitant.
"I'm fine," she whispered, voice rough. Her chest burned, not just from the fight.
"You're lying," he said, tone low, rough. Heat radiated from him, dangerous and intimate, and her pulse spiked involuntarily.
She closed her eyes, letting the twins press close. "I can't let you see everything yet," she murmured.
He exhaled sharply, jaw tight, eyes filled with longing, frustration, and an ache she couldn't name. "Then I'll wait," he said quietly. "But know this, Ariana—I won't walk away again. Not from you. Not from them."
Her heart ached at the confession. Desire, fear, and love collided inside her, a storm she couldn't control. She wanted to lean into him, to let everything slip—yet she couldn't. The twins were too young. The prophecy was too dangerous.
And still, the pull between them was undeniable.
Outside, the wind whispered through the ruins. Danger had passed—for now—but the night felt charged, heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
And somewhere in the shadows, the prophecy stirred, waiting for the moment the truth would finally break free.