I stared into his eyes, looking at the silver specks floating in his grey irises.
He stared back at my face, his eyes moving over my nose, my wet cheeks, and my lips.
The silence in the room grew heavy.
My heart started beating so fast against my ribs that I was certain he could hear the hard thumping sound in the quiet cavern.
“Why are you looking at me like that??” I whispered, my voice barely carrying across the small space between us.
Elden’s gaze stayed fixed on my face.
“Because you are gorgeous.”
I rolled my eyes, trying to play off the sudden warmth in my face.
“You already said that word.”
“You are really beautiful,” he repeated, his voice dropping an octave lower.
“Stop talking like that,” I muttered, looking down at his collarbone.
“You are tempting me,” he said softly.
I kept my mouth closed, refusing to give him a reaction.
He leaned half an inch closer, his breath touching my forehead.
“I have known many women in five hundred years of life. I have liked some of them. I have loved only 1. I have been attracted to many.”
His eyes searched mine with intense focus.
“But I have never felt a pull like the one pushing me toward you right now.”
My breath caught in my throat.
My hands twitched at my sides.
“Your scent is different from any omega I have ever smelled,” he murmured, his face coming closer.
“Your presence pulls at my chest like a heavy rope.”
His lips were so close to mine that I could feel the warm air leaving his mouth every time he spoke.
My mind felt cloudy, my body urging me to close the small gap between us and press my mouth against his.
“When your blood touched my skin earlier,” Elden whispered, “it soaked into my skin and reached my power. It melted right into my skin.”
My eyes went wide.
“It did?”
“Yes,” he whispered.
I stared at his lips, my heart hammering like a trapped bird.
“Then maybe we should test it properly.”
A slow, faint smile spread across his face.
“There is one true way to test if our bloodlines are bound.”
“We kiss,” he said.
My breath hitched.
Before my mind could process his words, his free left hand moved up toward my face, his long fingers reaching out to touch my cheek.
Reflex took over my body.
I lifted my right hand and slapped his arm away with a loud smack.
“What do you think you are doing?” I yelled, taking a fast step back on the sand.
“Do you think you are Snow White?”
Elden blinked twice, holding his left arm in the air where I had hit it.
Then a real, loud laugh burst out of his mouth.
It was a rich, deep sound that echoed off the stone ceiling and filled the dark cavern.
“First you called me the Moon Goddess’s husband,” he said, shaking his head as his laugh faded into a wide grin.
“Now I am Snow White?”
“I do not care what you call yourself,” I said, crossing my arms tight over my chest and glaring at him.
“You are not kissing me.”
Elden wiped his mouth with the back of his left hand, his face turning serious again.
“I am telling you the truth, Jessica.”
He took a step toward me, dragging the heavy right chain across the floor.
“If we are going to break that second lock and walk out of this place together, you need to accept what we are to each other,” he said calmly.
“If you do not want to kiss me, I can place my mark on your shoulder.”
My chest jerked.
“Mark me like your mate?”
“Or I can take a drop of your blood and taste it,” he added, his grey eyes locked onto mine.
He was not joking.
The sharp, serious look in his eyes told me he meant every word.
The terrifying part was that a small, secret part of my mind wanted to say yes.
I had never kissed in my entire life.
I had spent my years hiding in my pack, avoiding the pushy young alpha wolves who tried to corner me after training sessions.
I had saved my first kiss for someone special, someone I loved and trusted with my whole heart.
I had never imagined my first kiss would happen in an underground pit filled with water, heavy chains, piles of old clothes, and bones.
Every cell in my skin was pulling me toward him, begging me to take another step forward and let his hands touch my waist.
The attraction scared me to my core.
I still did not have absolute proof that he was Elden Zender.
What if he was a clever demon using mind tricks on me?
What if his story was a lie crafted to make me break his chains so he could kill me?
I could not throw away my caution just because my heart beat fast whenever he looked into my eyes.
I needed another way to test him.
A real way.
A forgotten memory from my childhood suddenly flashed in my mind.
Something my father had whispered to me
I lifted my head and looked directly into Elden’s eyes.
“Okay.”
He lifted one eyebrow.
“Okay?”
“My father told me there was a specific way to test if a man carries royal founder blood,” I said, reaching up to my neck with both hands.
His eyes narrowed as he watched my movement.
“What are you going to use?”
“My blood,” I said, pulling the strong cord out from beneath my wet collar.
I held the oval piece of metal out in front of my chest, letting the carved emblem rest on my open palm.
“And my heirloom,” I told him, fixing my gaze on his face.
Elden stared at the ancient iron piece resting on my hand.
“How do you plan to test me with that?” he asked softly.
“My father told me the Kingmaker heirloom only reacts to the true blood of the founder,” I said, stepping right up to his chest until my shoes touched his boots.
“If I put a drop of my blood on this metal and press it against your skin, the carved emblem will burn white if you are really Elden Zender.”
Elden looked down at the metal piece in my palm, then brought his eyes back up to mine.
“You are doing everything you can to avoid kissing me,” he murmured.
“I am avoiding making a mistake,” I corrected him, holding the heirloom higher.
“I am making sure you are not a monster trying to trick me.”
I held his gaze, refusing to look away.
“Once I confirm that you are really Elden Zender, then fine.”
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs as I spoke the final words.
“I will allow you to do whatever you want with me.”