Bitten affection

Previously

…The words, so simple, so profound, hung in the air between them. Lucian’s eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief, then a wave of something akin to triumph, washing over his features. The predatory hunger remained, but now, it was laced with a potent, possessive joy. He lowered his head, his lips brushing hers in a kiss that was both a promise and a claim, a seal on a pact forged in the heart of darkness. The choice was made. The path, perilous and unknown, lay before them, and Jillian, no longer naive, stepped onto it with a mixture of trepidation and a strange, intoxicating sense of belonging. The shadows welcomed her home.