As soon as Kai turned his back, I scanned the room for exits. The windows were small and too high, but the back door—if there was one—might be a chance. My pulse quickened.
He was distracted, unbuckling armor and placing weapons back in their places with methodical precision. I moved quietly, easing toward the far side of the room, my steps muffled by the fur beneath my feet.
He hadn't said how far the village stretched, or what lay beyond it. But I didn't care. I just knew I couldn't stay. I wouldn't be some man's pretend wife, or worse—his prisoner. My fingers brushed the wooden latch of a side door near the back, half-hidden behind a woven curtain.
I took a deep breath, heart racing, and pushed it open slowly.
Cold air hit me like a slap.
I slipped outside, keeping low, ducking past the wall into the shadows. The path behind the house led into the dark edge of the trees. If I could just make it into the forest again, maybe I'd find the portal—if it was still open—or at least somewhere to hide.
But I'd barely made it ten paces before a hand clamped around my wrist.
"No," Kai growled behind me.
I yelped as he spun me around, pinning me against a tree with one arm. His eyes burned—fierce and wild, but not with rage. Something worse. Something like betrayal.
"You think I wouldn't notice?" he said low. "I told you, Anna. This world isn't safe for someone like you. You step outside this village without me, and you're as good as dead."
"I'd rather take my chances than be your prisoner!" I spat, pushing at him again. My hands were useless against his body—hard muscle and unrelenting strength.
He leaned in close, his voice a whisper laced with warning. "You think I want this? You think I enjoy dragging a woman through a portal and pretending she's my wife?" His breath was harsh. "You weren't supposed to matter. But now you do. And that means I won't let you die."
For a moment, everything went still. His eyes searched mine—not with anger, but something tangled and heavy.
"I will not lose you," he said, almost to himself.
He picked me up effortlessly and carried me back to the house through the back door, which he locked behind us with a loud click. Without saying a word, he strode through the house and into the bedroom, then tossed me onto the bed with a force that made the mattress creak beneath me. He hovered over me, his shadow falling across my face as his eyes burned into mine.
He hovered over me, his breath brushing against my cheek, hot and unrelenting. The weight of his body pressed into mine, firm but not crushing—just enough to remind me how effortlessly he could keep me there. One of his hands slid from my waist to my thigh, fingers curling around it possessively.
"You drive me insane," he murmured, his voice low, rough with restraint. "You fight me, challenge me... and yet here you are, beneath me again."
My breath caught. I should have pushed him away. I wanted to—at least I thought I did. But my body betrayed me, arching slightly toward his heat, craving something I couldn't name.
He saw it in my eyes—the hesitation, the desire I was trying to hide. And he leaned in slowly, giving me time to turn away.
I didn't.
His lips brushed mine—barely a whisper of contact—but it sent a shiver straight through me. Then he kissed me again, deeper, more demanding, and I gave in without thinking. My fingers gripped his shoulders, pulling him closer as heat pooled low in my belly.
The kiss grew hungry, his hand sliding beneath my tunic, calloused fingers trailing fire along my skin. I gasped as his mouth moved to my neck, claiming me with every slow drag of his lips.
"You're mine," he growled softly against my skin, and in that moment, with his touch burning through me, I almost believed it.
His mouth returned to mine, this time with a fire that left no room for doubt. The kiss deepened, raw and unrestrained, and I felt something unravel inside me—something I hadn't meant to give.
But I did.
I arched into him, a soft gasp escaping my lips as his hands roamed my body, slow but certain, like he'd been waiting for this moment longer than even I could guess. Each touch left sparks across my skin, each kiss trailing heat that burned through every hesitation I had.
Clothes were tugged away, discarded with a kind of urgency that made my pulse quicken. His body pressed fully against mine—warm, solid, overwhelming—and yet I didn't feel afraid. Not this time.
"Kai…" I breathed his name like a confession.
He stilled for half a second, resting his forehead against mine, his voice low and thick. "Tell me to stop… and I will."
But I didn't. I couldn't.
Instead, I pulled him down to me, letting my actions speak louder than my words.
What followed was a tangle of limbs, breathless gasps, and heat that refused to be ignored. Every movement, every whispered word, was a war between restraint and hunger. His touch was reverent, but his need for me was undeniable—like he'd been holding it back since the moment we met.
And I let go, letting him claim me not with force, but with fire.
In that moment, the world outside didn't exist—only his hands, his mouth, the way our bodies moved together like we were made for this. Like we were made for each other.
The room was silent except for the crackling of the fire and the slowing rhythm of our breath.
Kai lay beside me, one arm draped over my waist, his body still warm against mine. The intensity that had burned between us now settled into something quieter, deeper—an unfamiliar calm that wrapped itself around me like the blanket he'd pulled over us.
I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. My thoughts were tangled—still echoing with the sound of his voice, the feel of his skin, the way he'd looked at me like I was something sacred, something his soul recognized.
But I was also afraid.
Not of him—but of what I had let happen.
What did this mean?Was I still his prisoner? Or had I just chosen him?
I glanced over at him, and for the first time, he wasn't the warrior or the stranger from another world. He looked younger in sleep—less dangerous, more human. One hand was loosely curled near his chest, the rise and fall of his breath steady, peaceful.
I turned onto my side, careful not to wake him, and curled inward beneath the furs. My body still ached with the memory of his touch, but my heart… it was more confused than ever.
The Next Morning
Soft light filtered through the small window, casting a golden hue across the wooden floor. I blinked slowly, half-expecting to wake up in my own bed—in my own time.
But his scent was still on my skin.
And his arm was still wrapped around me.
Kai stirred behind me, his grip instinctively tightening as if he already knew I was awake. "You're still here," he said quietly, voice husky from sleep.
"I thought about running," I admitted, barely above a whisper.
His fingers brushed my arm. "I know."
I turned to face him. His eyes searched mine, no trace of mockery or satisfaction—only a quiet seriousness that unsettled me more than his strength ever had.
"What now?" I asked.
"That depends," he said softly, lifting a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Are you staying because you have to… or because you want to?"
I didn't answer right away.
Because I wasn't sure of it myself.
Before I could answer, Kai shifted beneath me. In one fluid motion, he rolled us over, positioning me on top of him. A small gasp escaped my lips as his hands slid along my hips, steadying me as if I belonged there—as if I always had.
His body was warm and solid beneath mine, his gaze darkening as he looked up at me. "You still don't get it, do you?" he murmured, his voice thick with desire. "You've already chosen."
He pulled me down until our chests pressed together, and I could feel how ready he was—hard and unapologetic. One of his hands slid up my back, the other gripping my thigh, pulling me against him with a slow, aching grind that made my breath hitch.
Then he leaned up, his lips brushing the sensitive skin at my throat. A sharp bite—not cruel, but claiming—made me gasp. His voice was a low growl against my skin. "I want you again."
Just as I tilted forward, letting my hands rest on his chest, heart pounding and nerves buzzing, a sharp knock echoed from the window.
We both froze.
Another knock—louder this time.
Kai's arms tightened around me instinctively. His expression shifted instantly, from desire to something colder, more calculating. He gently but firmly moved me off of him and reached for the blade on the table beside the bed.
"Stay here," he said, voice low and edged with warning.
My heart thudded in my chest as he moved toward the window like a predator, silent and tense.
Whoever was out there… they had no idea how close they were to interrupting something dangerous—and intimate.
And I had no idea what was coming next.
Kai moved to the window in silence, hand resting on his blade out of habit. He pulled the curtain aside—then sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing.
"It's just Alex," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face in clear annoyance.
Turning back to me, his eyes trailed once more over my half-covered body before he grabbed a tunic from the chair and tossed it my way.
"Get dressed," he said, his voice rougher now, not with desire—but frustration. "We have company."
I blinked, still breathless, fumbling with the tunic as Kai unlocked the door. A burst of cold wind swept into the room, followed by a tall, lean figure who stepped inside like he owned the place.
He was almost identical to Kai—sharp jaw, dark hair tousled by the wind, the same piercing eyes—but the energy was different. Where Kai was carved from iron, Alex moved like smoke—light on his feet, a glint of amusement in his gaze.
His eyes landed on me first. He blinked. Smiled. Then raised a brow at his brother.
"Well," he said, clearly enjoying himself. "You going to introduce me, or do I keep calling her the ravishing, mysterious woman in your bed?"
Kai's jaw tensed. "She's none of your business."
Alex gave a mock gasp, looking back at me with a dramatic hand over his heart. "He didn't deny the ravishing part, just so you know."
I flushed, pulling the tunic tighter around me as Kai stepped between us—not roughly, but protectively.
"I found her in the forest," Kai said curtly. "She's not from here."
Alex tilted his head, curiosity sharpening. "Not from here... or not from our world?"
Kai didn't answer right away. The silence between them stretched tight.
Alex's smile faded slightly. "You brought her through the portal, didn't you?"
I looked between them, tension crawling up my spine. Whatever this was… it wasn't just about me anymore.