The wind howled through the forest like a grieving mother as Dante carried Selena through the dark. Her body was limp in his arms, but her skin burned like fire. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. Alara's words echoed in his mind, her voice as poisonous as the curse she'd promised. "You didn't tell her, did you? That the bond doesn't just connect mates—it connects enemies too." Dante clenched his jaw, his claws half-shifted as he sprinted toward the hidden sanctuary deep in the woods. His thoughts were a chaotic blur of fury, guilt, and desperation. The bond was sacred—twisted now, thanks to Alara. He had tried to protect Selena from his world, from its darkness. But darkness had a way of finding her. Selena stirred weakly in his arms. Her eyelids fluttered. "It hurts," she whispered. "I know, *dolcezza*. Just hold on." "Did you know?" she croaked. Dante didn't answer. Instead, he focused on reaching the old stone crypt built centuries ago by his ancestors. Warded. Protected. It was the only place Alara couldn't touch—for now. He kicked open the door and laid her gently on the makeshift cot. The flames in the hearth roared to life with a snap of his fingers. He touched her face. Her skin was pale, damp with sweat. "I'm going to fix this," he said. "You lied to me," she whispered. "I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you everything." Her eyes brimmed with pain—and not just from the curse. "That's still a lie." Dante stepped back, pacing. "Alara was once mine. Centuries ago. Before I knew what love could be. She was powerful, jealous, and cursed. When I broke our bond, she vowed vengeance. She's been waiting for a weakness, and she found it in you." Selena turned her face away, but tears traced down her temples. "So I'm just another casualty in your war?" "No," Dante said fiercely. "You're everything I never thought I could have. Everything I swore I wouldn't ruin." She closed her eyes, trembling. "Too late." He dropped to his knees beside her. "Selena, listen to me. Alara bonded herself to you through *me*. She used our connection as a conduit. But I can sever it." "How?" "I need to call on the ancient blood magic. It's dangerous. It'll hurt." "Do it." "I could lose you." "You already are." The words sliced deeper than any blade. Dante stood and began the ritual, drawing symbols in the air with blood from his palm. The wind shrieked as the crypt darkened. Shadows twisted and clawed at the walls. He chanted in the old tongue, each word laced with pain and power. Selena cried out as the curse fought back, her body arching off the cot. "Stay with me!" he shouted. "I can't—" "You can!" Light exploded from the symbols, blinding and raw. The shadows screamed—and then, silence. Dante collapsed to the ground, panting. Selena lay still. He crawled to her, heart in his throat. "Selena?" Her eyes opened slowly. The pain was gone. The fire in her veins extinguished. "You broke it," she whispered. He nodded, too choked to speak. She reached for his hand. "Thank you." Dante pressed her palm to his lips. "I'll always fight for you." But even as they embraced in the flickering firelight, neither noticed the blood symbol still glowing faintly on the stone wall. Alara wasn't finished. And neither was fate. Selena's unconscious body felt weightless in Dante's arms, but the burden that settled on his chest was anything but. He moved through the forest with silent urgency, the trees bowing around him as though aware of the storm that now followed in their wake. Inside the ancient manor nestled in the mountains—one of the few sanctuaries left untouched by war and blood—he laid her down on the velvet-cushioned chaise. His eyes never left her pale face. He had thought the worst was over. That taking her from the dungeon, sheltering her, training her, kissing her—had anchored her to safety. But Alara's words haunted him. Enemies are connected too. Dante's fists clenched until his claws broke skin. The beast inside him paced, wild and enraged. If Selena's life was now tethered to his ancient curse, if every moment she spent bound to him brought her closer to death—then what was the point of fate at all? Selena stirred, a soft gasp escaping her lips. Dante was instantly at her side. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused. "Where... where are we?" "Safe. For now," Dante murmured. "You passed out. Alara—she did something to you." Selena winced, curling into herself. "It felt like fire. Like something inside me was... tearing." "She's playing games," Dante growled. "But I swear to you, I'll end this. She won't touch you again." "Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice cracked. "About the bond? About the danger?" He didn't answer immediately. "Because I wanted you to have a choice. Even if I never did." She turned away, the silence between them turning heavier. A knock came again—but this one wasn't a threat. It was gentle. Familiar. Dante opened the door to find Luca—his second-in-command—breathing heavily, cloak torn, eyes urgent. "She's not alone," Luca said. "Alara brought the Crimson Pact with her." Dante cursed under his breath. "How many?" "Dozens. They've surrounded the lower valley." Selena stood shakily. "What do they want with me?" "You're a symbol now," Luca said. "The cursed mortal who survived. Who touched the Mafia King's heart. Alara wants to destroy you... to unravel him." "No," Dante said, voice cold and final. "She won't. We'll leave tonight." "Where will we go?" Selena asked. "Somewhere even Alara wouldn't dare follow." He met her gaze. "But I need you to trust me." Selena hesitated, her heart torn between fear and something far more dangerous—hope. "I'll follow you," she said. "But if I fall because of you... you'd better be the one to catch me." Dante nodded solemnly. "I won't let you fall." But even as he said it, a sliver of doubt curled through him. Because fate, after all, had never been kind to monsters.
