The sound of their breathing was all that could be heard in the room for some time as the tension from her dream, if it could be called that, slowly ebbed.

  “What happened?” Theo asked finally, his voice low, gentle.

  She didn’t answer right away as she lifted her hand and placed it on his chest. He was dressed again but she could still feel the hard muscle beneath the shirt.

  “I... I think I was dreaming of heaven. Everything was in ruins and Noctrachs were there,” she said slowly, her voice steady despite the heat creeping into her cheeks. She kept her gaze fixed on his chest, the steady rise and fall of his breathing giving her something to focus on. “When I woke up, I couldn’t really tell where I was.”

  Her fingers tightened briefly on his shirt as a flicker of embarrassment settled over her. Every vulnerability she had was constantly being laid bare at his feet. It made her uncomfortable. She didn’t like feeling this exposed, not when she knew so little of the man who held her.

  She started to pull away, needing space to collect herself, but Theo’s hand came to her chin, his touch gentle. He guided her face upward, stopping her retreat with a care that made her pause. Her eyes flicked up reluctantly, expecting pity or discomfort, but his gaze was steady, warm, and full of understanding.

  “You don’t have anything to be ashamed of,” Theo said, his voice soft and firm. His thumb brushed lightly along her jaw, a simple, grounding touch that sent warmth through her. “You’ve been through so much, Elena. It’s okay to be scared.”

  She closed her eyes at that, not knowing what to say. It was true. She was scared—terrified, even. Scared of what she might become, scared of what the artifact was doing to her, scared of the bond tightening its hold. She was scared of what would happen if the Noctarchs or Lucian got ahold of her. The fears tangled together in her mind, sharp and suffocating. Her skin prickled, and a cold sweat threatened to break over her.

  Theo must have sensed it because he pulled her closer, his arms tightening around her as he rested his chin gently on the top of her head. The solidity of his presence steadied her, and she exhaled shakily, leaning into him.

  “I get them too,” he said quietly, his voice breaking the silence. “Nightmares.”

  She stilled against him, the admission catching her off guard. “What are they about?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  He was quiet for a moment, his breath slow and even. “About things I wish I could take back,” he said finally, his tone heavy with regret.

  Elena contemplated that, her fingers lightly brushing against the fabric of his shirt. She knew fragments of his story—how he had been turned, how Lucian had forced him into servitude—but the specifics of his past felt like shadows she couldn’t quite grasp. How much had he been made to endure?

  Her voice was soft when she spoke again. “What was it like?” she asked. “Working for Lucian, I mean. What did you do for him?”

  Theo was quiet for so long that Elena thought he might not answer at all. His gaze drifted, as though he was looking at something only he could see. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, deliberate. “Everything he wanted me to,” he said. “But mostly, I gathered intelligence for him.”

  “Like a spy?” she asked, incredulity sharpening her tone. She shifted back slightly, needing to see his face. She supposed she shouldn’t be that surprised. Hadn’t he been acting as Lucian’s spy when they first met? Still, hearing him admit it felt different—more real.

  “Yes,” Theo admitted, his tone flat. “Something like that.”

  “I don’t understand.” She shook her head, frowning. “What does a vampire even need to spy on?”

  “Governments,” he said simply, his voice devoid of emotion.

  “Governments?” She asked. “Why?”

  He let out a slow, steady breath before answering. “There are a lot of reasons, but Lucian’s main goal was always to create instability. To cause war.”

  “War?” she repeated, her stomach twisting at the word.

  He nodded grimly. “War,” he said again, heavier this time. He seemed to anticipate her next question, continuing before she could ask it. “War is... good for vampires. Especially now, in this age.”

  Elena stared at him, struggling to reconcile the man holding her so lovingly with the cold reality of his words. “How could war be good for anyone?”

  Theo’s voice dropped to a quiet, detached monotone. “When countries go to war, lines of communication break. Electricity becomes scarce. Civilians disappear—hundreds, sometimes thousands at a time. And no one questions it. No one looks for the bodies. Chaos gives vampires freedom. It’s easier to hunt when no one is looking too closely.”

  Elena felt a chill creep up her spine as she listened, the gravity of his words sinking in. Theo’s expression was unreadable.

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  “Lucian thrives on that chaos,” he continued. “He uses war to train his fledglings, to feed them. Sometimes, he creates more vampires. Other times, he takes advantage of the destruction to grow his wealth and influence. When people go missing or when bodies are mutilated and left in the streets, it’s easy to blame enemy forces. No one stops to think it could be something else. Something worse.”

  Elena swallowed hard, trying to process the enormity of what he was saying. “And you...” Her throat felt dry. “You helped him do this?”

  Theo flinched at her words, his jaw tightening. “I didn’t have a choice,” he said quietly, his voice tight with restrained emotion. “Lucian controls my sister, Elena. If I didn’t obey him, she would pay the price.”

  Elena didn’t speak for a moment, the weight of his words settling over her. What would she be willing to do if it were David being threatened? How far would she go to protect him? The answer came too easily: she would do anything. Her chest tightened at the thought, and her throat burned as she forced herself to ask the question she already knew the answer to.

  “Have you ever killed someone for him?” she asked softly.

  Theo’s shoulders stiffened, and his expression darkened. “Yes.”

  “How many?” The words felt like they scraped her throat raw as she spoke them, her voice barely audible.

  “Too many,” he admitted, his beautiful features etched with sorrow. His gaze remained distant, as if he couldn’t bear to meet hers. “Anyone he saw as an obstacle—politicians, military leaders, other vampires... sometimes entire families, if it served his purpose.”

  Elena’s breath hitched, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Families?” she whispered.

  Theo nodded, his jaw clenching so tightly she thought it might shatter. “He didn’t care about collateral damage,” he said, his voice cold, detached. “If someone stood in his way, they were removed. Permanently. And he made sure I understood what would happen to my sister…and to me…if I hesitated.”

  The enormity of what he had endured, what he had been forced to do, pressed down on her, but she refused to recoil. Instead, her heart ached for him, for the man who carried this unbearable weight alone. Elena struggled to hold back the tears threatening to spill. Her throat burned as she fought to keep her composure. Reaching out, she found his hand and squeezed it tightly, as though that small gesture could somehow ease the burden he carried. “I don’t see how you survived that,” she said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

  Theo looked at her then, his expression hollow. “Some days, I don’t think I did.”

  Her heart ached at the rawness in his voice, and without thinking, she reached up and cupped his cheek. His eyes closed as he leaned into her touch, the tension in his face softening slightly. She wanted so badly to erase his pain, to take even a fraction of it away. She leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. His arms tightened around her, pulling her closer as though afraid to let go.

  She kissed his forehead again, then his cheek, her lips brushing against his skin like a quiet promise. With each kiss, she felt him relax, his breathing evening out as though the weight of the moment was easing, if only slightly. When her lips found his, it was soft at first—hesitant, almost unsure. But Theo kissed her back, his hands sliding to rest on her waist, pulling her closer.

  The kiss deepened, and his hands began to roam, trailing up her back, across her shoulders, and down to her hips. Elena gasped softly as his touch ignited a warmth in her that chased away the chill of their earlier conversation. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and she pressed herself against him, needing to feel his presence, his solidity.

  Theo’s lips moved to her neck, and she tilted her head back, her breaths coming quicker as his mouth traced a line of heat along her skin. His hands slid beneath the fabric of her shirt, his touch cool and steady, and Elena shivered at the feel of his fingers against her bare skin. Her own hands wandered, tracing the contours of his chest and shoulders, marveling at the strength beneath her fingertips.

  But just as the moment began to build, Theo stilled. His hands rested on her waist, and he pulled back slightly, his forehead pressing against hers as he caught his breath. “Elena,” he murmured, his voice strained. “We should stop.”

  She blinked, her pulse still racing as she tried to process his words. “Why?” she asked softly, her hands on his chest.

  Theo closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, his gaze filled with both longing and restraint. “Arthur hasn’t come back yet,” he said quietly. “I need to stay alert.”

  Elena tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowing. “You’re worried about him,” she said, more of a statement than a question. She could see it in the way his shoulders tightened, the way his gaze flicked toward the window. “You think something might’ve happened.”

  Theo sighed, his hands sliding away from her waist. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But it’s not like him to be gone this long. I... I want to check on him, but...” His voice trailed off, and he looked at her, his expression torn. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

  Her chest tightened at his words, but she forced herself to stay calm. “It’s okay,” she said gently, placing a hand on his cheek. “You can go check on him.”

  Theo shook his head, his jaw tightening. “I can’t just leave you here.”

  “Then I’ll call David,” she said, the solution coming to her quickly. “He can come over and stay with me while you’re gone.”

  Theo’s frown deepened, and she could see the protest forming on his lips. “I don’t love that idea,” he said after a moment. “He’s too -”

  “He’s my brother,” Elena interrupted, her tone calm but firm. “He won’t let anything happen to me. And you’ll feel better knowing I’m not alone.”

  Theo’s jaw tightened, and she could see the war going on behind his eyes. He let out a low sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Fine,” he said at last. “But you stay here, at the estate. No matter what David says, you don’t go anywhere with him. Promise me.”

  “I promise,” Elena said, her voice steady. “I won’t leave.”

  Theo searched her eyes for a moment before nodding. “Okay,” he said softly. “Text him now.”

  Elena picked up her phone from the nightstand and quickly typed out a message to David: Can you come over? It’s important. She sent the text and set the phone aside, looking back up at Theo.

  “You’ll let me know as soon as you find Arthur?” she asked.

  “I will,” Theo said, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips. “Stay safe, Elena. I mean it.”

  “I will,” she promised.

  Theo lingered for a moment longer before finally pulling away, his expression still tight with reluctance. But as he disappeared into the night, Elena couldn’t help the knot of worry that settled in her chest.