Chapter 32-
The forest was still trembling from what they'd just survived. Twigs snapped under their boots as Jace led Valerie deeper into the shadows, his grip firm around her wrist. The others—Ethan, Lena, her parents, and Keal—were somewhere ahead, moving toward safer ground. But Jace hadn't slowed until the sound of rushing water broke through the night.
They stopped at the edge of the river. Moonlight spilled across the surface, making it shimmer like molten silver. Valerie's breath caught—not from the beauty of it, but from the way Jace was looking at her. His chest rose and fell quickly, the adrenaline in his gaze still burning.
"We should… keep moving," she whispered, though her voice lacked conviction.
Instead of answering, Jace stepped closer, his hands sliding to her waist. "We've been running all night," he murmured, his voice low and rough. "Just… stay here with me. For a moment."
The air between them was hot despite the cool night. His fingertips brushed over the curve of her hips, drawing her nearer until their foreheads touched. She could feel the tremor in his breath, the quiet desperation that matched her own.
The river murmured beside them, a lullaby that seemed to block out the rest of the world. Valerie felt the pull of him—stronger than fear, stronger than sense. She let him guide her into the shallows, the water lapping at their ankles, then knees. It was cool, but his hands were warm, anchoring her as the current swirled around them.
Her fingers found the back of his neck, tangling in damp hair, pulling him down until their lips met. The kiss was slow at first, lingering, testing—but the moment she opened to him, it deepened, turning fierce. His arms tightened around her, lifting her slightly against him as the water rippled between their bodies.
The moonlight caught the drops on his skin, turning them into tiny constellations. Valerie's heartbeat pounded in her ears, every sense alive—his taste, his scent, the way his hands slid up her back, then down, pressing her closer still.
Jace broke the kiss only to trail his lips along her jaw, down the line of her throat, each touch sending shivers through her. She gasped softly, and he stilled for a moment, searching her eyes as if asking a question without words.
She didn't answer with words either—just pulled him back to her, their mouths meeting again, need building like the rising tide.
The water embraced them, cool against overheated skin, the night hiding nothing. Every movement, every whispered breath, every hungry kiss made the world outside the river vanish. Here, in this fragile pocket of time before dawn, they weren't fugitives or survivors. They were just two people, caught in something too powerful to stop.