Zarek’s POV
The street was still scorched where my fire had touched it.
Smoke curled lazily from the asphalt, mingling with the acrid scent of singed flesh. Zara’s breathing was still ragged, uneven, her body trembling even as she tried to steady herself. Talia hovered near her, torn between concern and fear—the kind directed at me.
I couldn’t blame her. She’d seen what I was.
And Zara…
Her wide eyes burned into me. Not gratitude. Not relief. Something sharper. More of suspicion.
I looked away before I could dwell on it, before I let the faint tremor in my own hands show. Control. Always control.
“Go home,” I told Talia, my voice low, and clipped.
She hesitated. “But—”
“Now.” My eyes flicked to hers, a deliberate threat woven in. Not for her, but for anyone who thought of lingerin
