Kamrynn’s POV
Lorien’s lips pressed against mine, fierce and consuming. His heat wrapped around me, his body caging me in as if I were something to be possessed, claimed. His hands moved down, gripping my waist, pulling me flush against him. My breath hitched as his mouth trailed lower, grazing the sensitive skin of my throat. A soft, strange heat curled in my stomach, spreading like wildfire, thick and hazy, dulling my thoughts.
I couldn’t think. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t-
“Kamrynn, fight it!” Aryna’s voice rang in my head, cutting through the fog. “You are the daughter of Selene! A child of the moon goddess herself! You are not weak! You are not his to claim!”
A violent tremor coursed through me as if something deep inside had been jolted awake. The haze suffocating my mind shattered in an instant, replaced by cold, hard clarity.
No.
No, no, no.
I wasn’t his. I wasn’t Elodie.
I was-
“Kamrynn.”
Rage flooded my veins.
Before I even realized what I was doing, my hands shot forward and shoved Lorien with all my strength.
A loud thud echoed through the room as his back slammed against the opposite couch.
I gasped, staring down at my own trembling hands. Had I… really just done that? How was I this strong?
“You’re the daughter of Selene,” Aryna revealed, her voice steady and certain. “You have power, Kamrynn. And once you regain your memories, you’ll remember exactly what you’re capable of.”
Lorien blinked, looking just as stunned as I felt. His eyes returned to their natural crimson color and now burned with something unreadable as he quickly rose to his feet.
I staggered back, immediately taking an attack stance. My entire body was thrumming with newfound energy, my instincts on high alert.
Lorien rolled his shoulders, shaking off his initial shock. His lips curled into something between amusement and irritation. “Now that was unexpected.”
I clenched my fists. “Stay away from me.”
He tilted his head slightly, studying me as if seeing me for the first time. “You’re stronger than I thought,” he mused, brushing off the front of his shirt. “Interesting.”
My heart pounded. Every fiber of my being screamed for me to run, to escape while I could. But I knew-I knew-that wasn’t an option. If I turned my back on him now, I wouldn’t make it three steps before he caught me.
I had to be smart. I had to stall.
His lips parted, and I already knew what he was about to say.
“Elodie.”
I snapped.
“Stop calling me that!” My voice was sharp, unyielding. “My name is Kamrynn!”
For a moment, silence stretched between us.
Then, to my utter confusion, Lorien… chuckled.
Not in a mocking way. Not in anger. But as if I had just told him a mildly amusing joke.
“Is that so?” he murmured.
I glared at him, my body still coiled and ready to fight. But instead of retaliating, Lorien let out a long, exaggerated sigh and ran a hand through his red hair, brushing it back from his face like a diva too exhausted to argue.
“Alright,” he said, rubbing his temples. “Clearly, things have escalated unnecessarily.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Unnecessarily?”
He gestured toward the couch. “Sit.”
I didn’t move.
Lorien exhaled, shaking his head. “There’s no need for all of this, Kamrynn.”
“I’m not falling for your tricks,” I snapped. “Stay the hell away from me.”
His crimson gaze met mine, unreadable. “Kamrynn,” he drawled, “I’ve lived with you for a month. In that time, I’ve gotten to know you better than you even know yourself right now. And I know you’re not stupid.”
I tensed.
He smirked slightly, tilting his head. “You’re also not suicidal.”
My stomach twisted.
“You don’t really think you can fight me, do you?” He gestured lazily toward himself. “Dragons aren’t like werewolves. We don’t posture. We don’t waste time with threats or intimidation. If I considered you a nuisance, you’d already be on the floor-dead-before you even realized what happened.”
I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to show any fear.
“You need me alive,” I countered.
Lorien chuckled again, taking a seat on the couch and crossing one long leg over the other like he had all the time in the world. “That’s an excellent deduction. Took you long enough.”
My nails bit into my palms.
Lorien leaned back against the couch, his gaze heavy. “There are certain fates far worse than death, little wolf,” he murmured. “Like being the very last of your kind. With the weight of repopulation resting solely on your shoulders.”
A cold chill ran down my spine.
“What are you talking about?”
He tilted his head. “Cutting straight to the point now, are we?”
“Lorien,” I growled. “Tell me exactly what you mean.”
His gaze flickered with something unreadable. “You already know the answer to that.”
No.
No, I didn’t.
I refused to.
I shook my head, trying to push down the nausea rising in my throat. “Why me?” I demanded. “Why did you choose me?”
Lorien didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he simply studied me. Measured me.
Then, he sighed, running a hand down his face. “I could paralyze you in an instant,” he said. “You know that, don’t you?”
I stiffened.
His voice was calm. Matter-of-fact. “That is the kind of power I have over you. But I haven’t done it.”
I clenched my jaw. “Why?”
He exhaled through his nose, tilting his head as if the answer were obvious. “Because I care about you.”
A cold, bitter laugh escaped me. “A normal person doesn’t kidnap someone they care about,” I snapped. “They don’t imprison them. They don’t steal their memories and lie to them!”
Lorien arched a brow, seemingly unfazed by my outburst. “You speak as if I’m some kind of villain.”
I gaped at him. “Are you hearing yourself right now?”
He merely shook his head, lips twitching in amusement. “Sit down, Kamrynn. Let’s have a civil conversation, shall we?”
I didn’t move.
Lorien let out a soft chuckle, his eyes flickering with something dangerous. “Or would you rather continue this little rebellion of yours? Because trust me, little wolf…” His voice dropped, deep and laced with something unsettling. “You won’t win.”
I hated that he was right.
Grinding my teeth, I slowly-slowly-moved toward the couch, keeping my eyes locked on him like a cornered animal.
I sat.
As far away from him as possible.
Lorien smirked.
I was still ready to fight. Still ready to run.
Because no matter what he said, no matter how calm he pretended to be-
I knew the truth now.
And I would never trust him again.