The fire burned itself down to embers, leaving the warehouse thick with smoke and silence. For the first time that night, Adair's shoulders sagged, exhaustion wrapping around her like chains.
Dominic noticed. He always noticed.
Without a word, he crossed the floor, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. The leather was warm, carrying the scent of him—gunpowder, smoke, and something darker she could never name.
"You shouldn't see this side of me," he murmured, eyes on the fading flames.
Adair pulled the jacket tighter, stepping closer. "But it's part of you. And I want all of you, Dominic. Even the parts that burn."
Her words struck deeper than any bullet. For a long moment, he just stood there, silent, torn between pushing her away and pulling her closer. In the end, the man won over the wolf.
He reached for her hand. Rough, scarred fingers intertwined with her smaller ones, and something inside him eased.
"Come," he said softly.
He led her upstairs to the small office above the warehouse floor. It wasn't much—just a battered couch, a desk, and a single lamp flickering in the corner—but it was safe, at least for now.
Adair sank onto the couch, fatigue dragging her down. Dominic sat beside her, his presence heavy but strangely comforting. For once, there was no mask of control, no ruthless edge. Just a man, scarred and tired, staring at the woman who refused to leave his side.
"You risked your life tonight," he said finally. His tone was low, almost accusing.
Adair met his gaze without flinching. "And I'd do it again."
The silence that followed was thick, charged. Then Dominic leaned forward, his hand cupping the back of her neck, pulling her into him. His kiss was slower this time, less desperate, more… surrender.
She melted against him, fingers tangling in his shirt as if to anchor herself. For the first time, there was no fear, no hesitation—only fire, raw and consuming, binding them closer than before.
When they finally broke apart, breathless, Dominic rested his forehead against hers. "You're mine, Adair. Understand that. Whatever comes, you're mine."
"And you're mine," she whispered back, fierce and certain.
Outside, the city hummed, unaware of the war brewing in its underbelly. But for that night, in the dim light of a forgotten office, Dominic and Adair found a fragile peace—one built on fire, on defiance, and on a love dangerous enough to burn the world.