Cassel — POV
I was in no mood for restraint—no patience, no measured control, not even the faintest attempt at calm.
My steps rang through the corridor, sharp and forceful, striking the floor as though I meant to crack it beneath my heels. Each stride carried the weight of something darker, something barely leashed beneath my skin, threatening to spill out if given even the smallest excuse.
Rosalia rested in my arms.
Her body was warm, light, and close to mine.
Dangerously close.
Close enough that I could hear the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, feel the faint rise and fall of her breathing against my chest, sense the softness of her through every layer between us. Close enough that my thoughts began to blur at the edges, slipping toward places I should not let them go.
For a fleeting moment, my darker instincts surged, clawing upward, threatening to take control. My body responded before my mind could catch up, desire flickering to life—but it was weak.
