Cassian woke to the scent of rain and the weight of Riven draped over his chest, limbs tangled in a way that made it impossible to tell where one body ended and the other began. For a long moment, he didn't move—just listened to the steady thrum of Riven's breathing.
Peace wasn't something Cassian was used to.
But with Riven here, naked and warm and finally his again, it didn't feel so far-fetched.
Riven stirred, lashes fluttering before his eyes opened, dark and hazy from sleep. "Morning," he murmured, voice husky.
Cassian kissed the corner of his mouth. "Barely. Sun's not even up."
"Still feels like a dream."
Cassian's hand slid down his back. "If this is a dream, don't wake me up."
Riven smiled faintly before his expression shifted. "There's something I need to tell you."
Cassian tensed.
Riven sat up, pulling the blanket around his waist. "It's about Silas."
The name dropped between them like a blade.
Cassian sat up slowly. "Go on."
Riven's gaze flickered. "He's not just my ex. Not just a mistake. He was...my handler."
Cassian's chest tightened. "What?"
Riven exhaled. "Before we met, I was working under someone high up—off the grid. My family's legacy dragged me into a world I didn't want to be part of. Silas was assigned to me. He trained me, owned me...in ways I didn't even understand at the time."
"You said you left him."
"I did. But leaving didn't erase the marks he left behind. He was possessive, manipulative. And when I fell for you, he saw it as betrayal."
Cassian stood, jaw clenched. "Is that why he's back?"
Riven nodded. "He won't stop until he thinks he's broken us."
Cassian's fists clenched. "Then we don't give him the satisfaction."
Riven looked up at him, vulnerable and fierce. "You still want this? Even with all the danger, all the shadows that follow me?"
Cassian reached for him, pulling him into a fierce kiss that promised everything and demanded nothing. "There's no 'still' about it. I've always wanted you. I'm not going anywhere."
Riven melted into him, arms winding around Cassian's neck. "Then make me forget him."
Cassian didn't need to be told twice.
He lifted Riven with effortless strength and carried him to the bed, laying him down like something precious before claiming him again—slow this time, deliberate. The kind of lovemaking that unraveled every scar and replaced it with devotion.
Riven arched beneath him, breathless and moaning, each thrust a vow: You're mine. Only mine.
Cassian buried himself in Riven, eyes locked, hands gripping his hips as if anchoring himself to the only thing that had ever made sense.
And when they came—together, shattering—they didn't break apart.
They fused.
Later, as the rain began to lift and light dared to peek through the clouds, Cassian whispered, "He may have been your handler once, but I'm the one who holds your heart."
Riven smiled. "And I'm not letting you drop it."
They lay there, hearts in sync, bodies sated, both knowing the storm wasn't over.
But now, they were facing it together.
Tied not by pain or secrets—but by choice.
By love.
By fire.