Chapter 101: Snap of the Crown
Chapter 101: Snap of the Crown
When we stopped, we were barely inches apart.He looked down at me with a strange expression: soft, confused, haunted.
And then, he whispered my name.
"Vivian."
Just that. Just one word.
It was maddening how beautiful he could make my name sound, like it was the only word he cared to speak. But it wasn’t enough. Not anymore.
I kept my face unreadable, though inside, every memory, every wound, threatened to rise. My voice, when I finally spoke, was steady but cold.
"Why?"
He flinched slightly, brows drawing in.
"I had to," he said quietly.
His hand started to lift, reaching for my cheek, but I blocked it before he could touch me. The near-contact sent a jolt through me, our bond reacting even when I didn’t want it to.
His eyes darkened with pain, and his arm slowly dropped. He didn’t argue. He just stood there, stiff and aching to reach for me again.
You don’t get that right anymore, I reminded myself.
"You’re the Lupus Deus," I said, my voice sharp and bitter. "You don’t have to do anything."
His jaw clenched. "You were in danger. I had to act fast to protect you, your family. You think I wanted to keep you away? I couldn’t let you be here until it was safe."
His voice deepened with that unshakable authority of his. But I wouldn’t let his words break through my resolve.
No. I needed him soft. Vulnerable. Just like I was when he left.
I pressed my palm against his chest, right where his heart beat beneath muscle and power. He tensed beneath my touch, then slowly relaxed.
I softened my expression, just a little. Enough to lower his guard.
He reached out again, and this time, I let him. His fingers grazed my cheek, warm and tentative, like he didn’t want to spook me. For that one second, I allowed myself to feel it: the closeness, the ache.
"I’ve missed you," he whispered, breath stirring the air between us. "My little cloud."
The nickname made something twist painfully in my chest.
I slid my hand up his chest, then the other, gently cupping his face. I pulled him closer, close enough for our lips to hover apart by only a breath. Rising up on my toes, I held his gaze.