CHAPTER TWELVE: Kiss of Death
Dominic showed up at dusk.
His knuckles were crusted with blood and his boots were streaked with mud. But it was the look in his eyes—cold, ancient, and unreadable—that caught Luna's breath in her throat.
She waited in the moonlit chamber, dressed in a flowing white robe, barefoot, her hair cascading down like her mother's used to. Before her on the stone altar lay the dagger, its silver glinting, along with the scroll resting nearby.
To lift the curse, the cursed must shed blood.
The one you love must kill you… then bring you back to life.
Luna's heart raced like a war drum.
When Dominic stepped inside, he shut the heavy stone door behind him.
No words. Just silence.
Only a thick, simmering quiet.
She turned to him slowly. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
He didn't reply.
He just walked closer.
Every step was deliberate. Dangerous. Controlled.
Like a predator circling its prey—or a man trying desperately not to break.
Then he asked, "Are you sure you want this?"
Luna's voice remained steady. "Yes."
His hands tightened into fists. "You know what I've done. What I am. You really think dying in my arms will save you, Luna?"
Her gaze held his.
"No," she whispered. "I think dying in your arms is the only way I can ever be free."
And that broke him.
In an instant, he was right in front of her, hands cradling her face, mouth capturing hers. Their kiss was wild and consuming—not soft, not gentle.
It was pure need.
All those years of denial, weeks of danger, and days of silence came pouring into that kiss.
Her hands found his shirt, tearing it open.
His mouth traveled to her neck, teeth grazing her skin.
She gasped. "Dom—"
"Don't say my name," he growled, his voice rough. "Not unless you mean it."
"I mean it." Her fingers tangled in his hair. "I've always meant it."
He lifted her effortlessly, laying her down on the cool stone of the altar, hovering over her. His scent—a mix of earth, blood, and something primal—enveloped her like wildfire.
Their clothes slipped away, one layer at a time, until nothing stood between their skin and souls.
Luna arched into him, breath hitching as his mouth traced her collarbone, moving down to her breasts, his tongue igniting trails of heat.
"I've wanted this," he murmured, lips brushing her stomach, "since the first day I saw you in the rain, blood on your boots."
She laughed, breathless and wild. "I was killing a spy."
"I know. It was the sexiest thing I've ever witnessed."
His fingers slipped between her thighs, and her laughter turned into a gasp.
At first, he moved slowly, learning every inch of her with his war-hardened hands and mouth that kissed with reverence.
But that slowness didn't last.
Because she dug her nails into his back, bit down on his shoulder, and murmured, "Claim me like I'm the battlefield."
And he did.
Their bodies smashed together like storms, every thrust, every moan, every kiss an act of raw surrender. He held her legs open, watching her come undone over and over until her throat was hoarse from screaming his name.
He didn't just take her.
He claimed her.
And she let him.
Because even if death awaited her tonight…
…she wanted to know what it was like to be completely consumed by him.
Afterward, they lay tangled, slick with sweat, hearts pounding.
No words were spoken.
Just the sound of their breaths and the knowledge of what was to come.
The ritual.
The sacrifice.
The dagger.
Dominic stood first.
Naked. Stunning. Haunted.
He reached for the blade.
It shimmered like moonlight dancing on water.
"You don't have to do this now," he said, his voice trembling. "We could wait—"
"I'm ready," Luna replied softly. "While your love still lingers on me. While your hands still remember me."
She sat up, her hair falling around her face.
"I trust you, Dom."
He nodded slowly, then pressed a kiss to her temple, her lips, her chest.
And lastly, her heart.
"I'll bring you back," he whispered, raising the dagger.
"I know."
The blade slipped in cleanly.
Straight through her heart.
She gasped, not from pain, but from a sudden clarity.
And then, the world turned white.
Meanwhile...
Deep below the compound, something ancient stirred.
A whisper across the veil.
A thread snapped.
A curse broke.
And a god opened its eyes.