Lorien’s POV
She was mine.
My mate. My fated one. The woman the universe had carved from its very essence just for me.
The moment she uttered that single, undeniable word—"Mate."—everything inside me snapped.
Instinct screamed at me to take her. To claim her, mark her, and bury myself so deep inside her that she would never forget who she belonged to. My body burned with an uncontrollable need, my muscles tensing as I prepared to pounce—
But then, she spoke again.
"What’s your name?"
Her soft voice was like ice-cold water dousing the raging inferno in my veins. My claws, halfway extended, retracted. My hands, which had been reaching for her, curled into fists at my sides.
What the f**k was I doing?
She was blind. Vulnerable. And no matter how much my instincts clawed at me to clai
