Page 76 of Haunted Crowns
Stephan pressed his forehead against her shoulder, frustration, regret, and brutal need twisting inside him.
No, not like this.
His fists curled in the sheets, muscles straining against the truth crashing down. This was not how he imagined their first time, not with her wincing beneath him, not with pain instead of pleasure. He pulled back, his dark eyes locking onto hers, the war in him written across every tense line of his body.
"Eris…" His voice was raw. "I want you." He exhaled sharply, brushing his thumb along her jaw, reverently. "I want you sobadly it’s killing me. But this isn’t going to work." He swallowed hard. "Your body isn’t ready."
Eris lay beneath him, her breath trembling from what they had almost become. She knew he was right. She had known the moment his hands, once desperate, turned hesitant.
But as he pulled away, a quiet panic rose in her chest because she could not bear to lose his closeness, his warmth. She caught his gaze, shimmering.
"You’re right," she whispered. "But please, stay." She released a long, aching breath. "Don’t leave me alone tonight."
Those words undid him. His heart slammed against his ribs, his pulse roaring. She wasn’t asking for passion anymore; she was asking for him, and he had no strength to deny her.
Logic, restraint, duty—all crumbled. Stephan exhaled, squeezed his eyes shut, and pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. He buried his face in her hair, breathing her in, anchoring himself to her warmth.
"How," he whispered against her temple, voice broken, "how can I ever say no to you?"
Eris pressed into him, burying her face in the curve of his neck, her breath trembling. The warmth of his body, the strength of his arms—it was everything she had craved. She clung to him, fingers curling into his bare skin, as if letting go would break her.
For a breath, the world outside disappeared. But the moment stretched too thin. Reality crept in, merciless and cold: the spirits’ whispers, the weight of fate, the war inching closer.
A shiver ran through her. The fear she had buried clawed its way back brutally, filling the cracks left by longing. No matter how tightly she held him, the world would not stop. The walls pressed inward, heavy and suffocating, and before she could stop it, a broken sob tore free.
Stephan stiffened, pulling back just enough to see her. "Eris?"
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as another sob broke loose. Her body trembled against him, hands fisting at his shoulders. "I can't do this," she whispered, voice splintering. "Stephan, I—I can't—"
His heart wrenched. He tightened his arms around her, cradling her as if he could shield her from everything she feared. Fingers threading into her hair, breath unsteady, he whispered, "Shh. Don’t do this, Eris. Don’t let the fear win."
She shook her head against his chest. "You don’t understand," she choked out. "You don’t understand what this path could cost us." Doubt coiled viciously, the old fear rising before she could stop it. "Maybe your father was right."
Stephan stilled.
She inhaled sharply, her fingers trembling against his skin. "Maybe I never should have been born. Maybe you should’ve let him finish the job back in the chamber, downstairs."
A cold, suffocating silence fell between them.
Stephan’s grip on her arms tightened, as if holding her could keep those words from becoming real.
"Eris," he rasped.
She would not look at him, her head bowed, shoulders trembling. "I’m dragging you into this," she gasped. "Pulling you into a war we might not survive, into a destiny I don’t even understand." She swallowed hard. "So maybe the world would have been better off if—"
"Stop." The word cut sharp and final. Stephan cupped her face, forcing her to meet his gaze. His touch was firm, grounding, but his eyes were fractured. "You don’t get to say that to me," he whispered, voice shaking. "Not after everything. Not after I nearly lost you. You think I could live in a world without you?" He pressed his forehead to hers. "You think I would not burn this world to the ground if it meant keeping you here?"
A sob tore from her throat. He wasn’t saying it to be poetic. He meant every word.
Eris shook her head frantically, her hands flying up to clutch his face. "Don’t say that," she whispered, desperate. "Don’t—"
He kissed her. His lips moved against hers, full of passion, full of promise. She was everything.
When he pulled back, his eyes searched hers. “I don’t need protection from you, Eris,” he whispered. “I just need you.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"I love you," he breathed, the words breaking in his throat. "I swear it, Eris. No matter what fate brings, I will fight for us. We will be together. Forever."
