Gabriel stepped out of the shadows, and a cold chill wrapped around Elissa, seeping under her skin.
His eyes glowed silver, pupils narrowing like a predator’s, and a strange, dark smile played on his lips.
— You’re late. — Raphael stepped forward, shielding Elissa with his body.
Gabriel stopped.
— Oh, but I’ve always been here.
Elissa froze.
She didn’t know which of them she feared more.
Raphael—wild, untamed, dangerous, but… hers.
Gabriel—cold, calculating, distant… yet bound to her by ties she didn’t understand.
— Leave. — Raphael’s voice was quiet, but filled with menace.
Gabriel smirked.
— You’re in no position to give orders. — He turned his gaze to Elissa. — Isn’t that right, my dear?
She swallowed hard.
— Gabriel… what are you doing here?
His smile widened.
— I came for you.
Raphael growled, his aura darkening, something ominous spilling into the air.
— You won’t take her.
— That’s not for you to decide.
Elissa took a step back, the mark on her wrist pulsing again, as if reacting to their presence.
— What do you both want from me?!
Gabriel looked at her with something almost like regret.
— Everything.
Raphael tensed.
— She’s not yours.
Gabriel shook his head.
— And she’s not yours either, Raphael.
The silence thickened.
Elissa could feel the tension rising between them, sparks igniting in the air.
They both wanted her.
But it wasn’t about desire.
It was about who would win.