Rowan chuckled. “I didn’t steal it. A friend of mine works in wildlife rescue. This cub lost its mother and was injured. I just took it for a few days. They’ll return it to the wild soon, but for now, I thought you’d like to meet it. I know how much you love white tigers.”
Amara felt her chest tighten with emotion. He knew.
But how..?!
She’d mentioned her love for white tigers once, in passing, never expecting anyone to pay attention to such a small detail. And yet here he was, standing before her with this vulnerable little creature in his arms.
“I’m sorry I can’t let you keep it,” Rowan added, his voice soft. “But you can spend some time with it. I figured that might make you happy.”
Amara’s eyes softened, and without thinking, she reached out toward the cub.
She hesitated for a moment, unsure, but Rowan took her hand, guiding it to the cub’s head. The little tiger squeezed its eyes shut, enjoying the touch as Amara gently grazed her fingers along its soft fur.
A smile, genuine and warm, spread across her face. The cub let out a small, contented noise, and Amara couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Rowan watched her, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
He had given her the perfect gift, one that spoke to the parts of her she kept hidden from the world, parts she didn’t even know he’d seen.
As she stood there, touching the little white tiger, she realized that Rowan saw her in ways no one else did, and that terrified her more than anything.
Rowan was dangerous… not just because of his power or the dark world he controlled, but because he had the ability to make her feel things she didn’t want to feel. Things she couldn’t afford to feel. She had been surviving in a world where emotion was a weakness, where attachment could lead to betrayal, and where love was a trap that could destroy you. And yet here he was, breaking down every barrier she had so carefully constructed.
“Why do you do this?” she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, as her hand stilled on the tiger cub’s head.
Rowan tilted his head, his eyes never leaving her. “Do what?”
“This,” she said, gesturing to the cub, to the roses, to the overwhelming effort he had made today. “You know I’m not… I’m not yours to claim.”
His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. “You were always mine to claim Crimson.”
Amara clenched her fists, her heart pounding. “I am not!”
Rowan’s hand reached out, but instead of touching her, he traced the air near her cheek, his fingers hovering just inches away from her skin, as if teasing her with the idea of contact. His voice dropped to a whisper, low and dangerous. “You’re not?”
“I’m not Alessandro,” Rowan said, his voice steady but laced with something lethal. “I won’t manipulate you with false promises or empty words. But I won’t let him have you either.”
Amara flinched at the mention of Alessandro. The comparison struck her harder than she expected. Alessandro had always been charming, always saying the right things, but there was something hollow in his affection… something calculating. With Rowan, it was different. His intensity wasn’t masked, wasn’t hidden behind pretty lies. He laid his desire bare, raw and unapologetic.
“I can take care of him,” Rowan continued, his voice darkening. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”
Her pulse quickened at the threat. “I told you, I’ll handle him,” she said sharply, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and frustration. “I don’t need you to kill anyone for me.”
“You don’t need me to,” Rowan agreed, his voice calm. “But you want me to.”
Amara’s breath caught in her throat. The words hung in the air between them, heavy and dangerous. Was that what she wanted? For Rowan to eliminate Alessandro, to rid her of the man who clung to her so desperately? It was a tempting thought, but she pushed it away. She couldn’t allow herself to fall into that darkness, no matter how appealing it seemed in Rowan’s presence.
She shook her head, stepping back from him. “You’re wrong.”
Rowan’s smile faded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he watched her retreat. “Am I?”
“You don’t understand,” Amara whispered, her voice shaky. “I don’t want to be a part of this. I never wanted any of it.”
Rowan’s gaze softened, just for a moment, but the intensity remained. “I know, Crimson. But you’re already a part of it. Whether you like it or not.”
She hated that he was right. She had been dragged into this world long ago, and now it clung to her like a shadow, following her wherever she went. Alessandro, Rowan, the constant danger… it was all inescapable.
Rowan stepped closer again, this time his hand brushing against hers, warm and grounding. His touch sent a shiver through her, but she didn’t pull away. “You can fight it all you want, but I’ll always be here. I’ll always want you, Amara.”
The way he said her name, like a promise and a warning all at once, made her heart ache. She had never wanted to belong to anyone, had never wanted to be claimed or possessed. But Rowan didn’t ask for her permission.
He didn’t need it.
He was relentless, and no matter how hard she tried to resist, she knew deep down that part of her wanted what he was offering.
Amara let out a soft sigh, her gaze dropping from Rowan’s piercing eyes to the white tiger cub nestled between them. The cub, blissfully unaware of the charged atmosphere, pawed at her fingers, its little claws brushing against her skin as it sought her attention.
It was innocent, so unlike the world she and Rowan existed in.
For a moment, the tension in her body eased, and she allowed herself to get lost in the innocent joy of the tiny creature. But the feeling didn’t last long. She could feel Rowan’s eyes on her, watching her every movement..
“Stop looking at me,” she muttered, her voice low, trying to mask the vulnerability that threatened to seep through.
Rowan’s lips curved into a faint smile. “I can’t help myself,” he replied, his tone smooth, laced with dark amusement. “You’re so beautiful, Crimson. How can I look away?”