Esther’s POV
I pressed my hand to my lips, feeling the imprint of him still there as if the room itself had recorded the memory. My chest felt tight, my heart still thundering in a rhythm that refused to slow.
I hated that part of me. I hated that the mate spark still flared whenever he was near, hated that even after everything—humiliation, danger, lies—I could still feel drawn to him.
And yet… there it was. Burning, maddening, impossible to ignore.
A sudden crash against the door jolted me, breaking the haze of lingering desire and fear. Kevin barreled into the room, eyes blazing with fury I had only ever seen when a threat had dared touch one of his people or one of his children.
“Esther!” His voice was sharp, full of alarm and anger, and I flinched at the force of
