Selene didn't sleep.
She couldn't.
Kieran's words echoed in her mind, wrapping around her like invisible chains.
"If you're still here when the sun rises… then you're mine."
The weight of the choice pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
She sat by the window of the penthouse Kieran had taken her to, watching the dark sky slowly fade into hints of dawn. The city below was quiet, unaware of the war raging inside her.
She could leave.
The door wasn't locked.
Kieran wasn't holding her here.
Not physically, at least.
But deep down, she knew the truth.
She wanted to stay.
And that terrified her more than anything.
—
Kieran leaned against the doorway, watching her.
He hadn't slept either.
Not when he knew she was here, battling herself.
Not when he knew that by morning, she would have made a choice.
His jaw tightened.
She thought she still had control.
That she could walk away.
But Kieran knew better.
Selene had always been his—long before fate had torn them apart.
And now, fate was giving them a second chance.
He wasn't going to waste it.
Selene didn't turn when she heard him step closer.
She could feel him—his presence, his heat, the weight of his gaze.
"You didn't leave."
His voice was low, rough with something she couldn't place.
Selene exhaled slowly. "Not yet."
Kieran moved behind her, close but not touching. "Why?"
She stared at the horizon, the first rays of sunlight stretching over the city.
"I don't know."
It wasn't a lie.
She should have left. Should have put as much distance between them as possible.
But something kept her here.
Something dark.
Something she wasn't ready to name.
Kieran reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her shoulder. The touch was light, barely there, but it sent a shiver down her spine.
"You do know," he murmured.
Selene closed her eyes.
Yes.
She did.
She turned to face him, her heart pounding as she met his gaze. "And if I stay?"
Kieran's eyes darkened, something dangerous flickering in them.
"Then you're mine," he said again, his voice softer now, but no less firm.
Selene's pulse stuttered.
The sun rose higher, bathing them in golden light.
And still—
She didn't move.
Didn't run.
Didn't fight.
Because some part of her—
The part that still craved him, still ached for him—
Had already made its choice.