Aurelia's POV
She awoke to the soft rustling of curtains.
The room was unfamiliar — not her own. The bed beneath her was made of silk and shadow, the sheets dark as raven feathers. Candles flickered in sconces shaped like thorns, and the air smelled like rain on stone. Heavy. Electric.
Her leg ached with every breath, tightly bandaged. She remembered the horse. The fall. The panic. And then…
Him.
The memory was a blur — strong arms, a steady heartbeat, cold eyes that burned hotter than flame. He had held her like a secret, like a weapon he wasn't sure he wanted to use.
She pushed herself up with a wince. The door creaked open before she could call out.
He stepped in.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. His black coat swept behind him like smoke. His hair was tousled, dark as midnight. His eyes… gods, his eyes. Piercing silver, glinting with danger, like moonlight cutting through stormclouds.
Aurelia froze.
He didn't speak. Just walked forward slowly, each step deliberate, like a predator closing in.
"Who…?" she started, but her voice broke.
His head tilted slightly, expression unreadable.
"You're awake," he said simply. His voice was smooth, but deep — rich enough to wrap around her spine and make her shiver.
"I… Where am I?"
"My home. The lands of the Devil Duke."
She blinked. "Then you're…"
"I didn't say that."
He smirked faintly. A hint of amusement. Or was it warning?
She pulled the blanket closer around herself. "Why did you help me?"
His gaze darkened. "Because your so-called 'friend' left you to die."
Silence stretched.
"I didn't need saving," she muttered, pride flaring.
He stepped closer.
"You looked like a broken doll in a field of thorns," he whispered. "But something tells me you've survived worse."
Her breath caught. He was too close now. Too intense. Like a blade brushing skin.
He reached out, not to touch her, but to place something on the table beside the bed — a delicate moonflower, glowing faintly in the candlelight.
"I'll send someone to take you back tomorrow. Try not to fall off any more horses."
He turned to go.
"Wait!" she called, heart racing. "What's your name?"
He paused at the door.
Then, without looking back—
"I'll tell you when I'm sure you're not another stupid girl playing dress-up in wolves' skin."
And he disappeared into the dark.
End of Chapter 8