Chapter 30: LOVED AND MARKED

{"Charm of the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable"}

TOR 'S POV

Lying beside her in the cave, wrapped in fur blankets, I stared at the jagged roof above. The soft glow of the moon filtering through the cracks made the space feel more intimate than it had any right to. But the air between us was heavy, charged with emotions neither of us had the courage to voice. My senses were sharper than usual, heightened by the mark that now bound us.

Even so, the weight of betrayal lingered like a spectre in the shadows. I stirred, the frustration clawing at me unbearable. "Do you know," I began, my voice low, "one of the curses or gifts, depending on how you look at it that vampires possess is the ability to sense emotions?" I huffed a dry laugh, glancing at him. "Even now, after all that's happened between us, I can feel yours, clear as daylight. Confusion. Guilt. And something more..."