Page 69 of The Bound Blood
Nolan.
My heart stutters again, this time for a different reason.
Because I’m still wrapped in the warmth of Nolan’s arms in my memory. His kiss still on my lips. His trust, his sweetness, his everything—still echoing inside me.
And Kael. Distant and sharp-edged, but still tethered to my blood, to something deep and dangerous and real.
Theyallwant me. Maybe not outright. Maybe not in the same way. But they’ve made it clear—none of them are stepping back.
I close my eyes for a second, sorting through it all.
Is it wrong?
They haven’t made me choose. They all seem to understand something I haven’t fully admitted to myself—that this isn’t simple. That Ifeelfor each of them in different ways. That this connection between us is bigger than just a crush or a moment of weakness.
Still, I don’t want to hurt anyone. Least of all Nolan, who gave me something that mattered today.
So… is this cheating?
If they all know?
If they all feel it too?
I don’t know.
But I do know Raiden is watching me like I’m somethingprecious.Like he needs the answer to survive this moment. Not because he’s demanding it—but becausehe would never ask again if I said no.
I swallow hard. My voice is barely a whisper. “…Yeah.”
His brows twitch, a flicker of surprise—but not hesitation.
I nod, just once. “You can kiss me.”
Raiden doesn’t move right away.
He just stares at me—like he’s memorizing the exact way I said it. The sound. The shape of my mouth. Then slowly, reverently, his hand comes up to my cheek.
And he kisses me.
Something blooms inside my chest, and I kiss him back. Our tongues dance as our mouths slide against each other. It’s unhurried, intentional—like every part of him is trying to communicate something he can’t find words for.
Warmth spreads through me, curling beneath my skin like sunlight through stained glass. He gathers me closer, one arm circling around my back, the other tangling in my hair, holding me like I’m something sacred.
I let myself melt into him.
Just for a moment.
Then he pulls back, not all at once, but in soft little kisses—one at the corner of my mouth, one at the dip between my lips, one more against my cheek.
He breathes me in.
And pauses.
His gaze flickers slightly, still soft but now tinged with curiosity. His nostrils flare as he draws in another slow breath. Then his eyes lock with mine.
“You smell like him,” he murmurs.
My heart skips.
