Odesse looks up at Valex and says, "Yes, my king, I want us to mate tonight." Valex, still unable to believe his ears, shifts his gaze downward, sadness clouding his eyes. "My love," he replies, "you are aware of the circumstances I face. I can’t let you die."

Odesse smiles and pivots on her knees to face him. The sudden shift of her weight sends a broad, rhythmic wave surging over the marble lip. She gently touches his face and continues, "My king, I am aware of what will happen, which is why we have to mate tonight. That’s how to break the curse." Valex looks at her, puzzled. "I do not quite understand you."

She tucks her legs beneath her as she settles into a low kneel against the marble. Breathing out, she says, "My king, the Moon Spirit informed me that in order to break your curse, we will have to mate. During the act, I may lose consciousness and go into a trance."

Valex asks, "What do you mean by that?" Odesse replies, "It’s a lot to explain, my king. Talking about it gives me anxiety, but when I do go into the trance, black blood will stream down my cheeks continuously. It will signify that I’m still alive. But if it stops..." She looks down, tears rolling down her cheeks. Valex gently raises her head to meet his gaze. "If it stops, what does it mean?" he inquires.

Odesse smiles, even though her eyes are filled with tears. "It means I’m dead." Valex’s eyes widen in shock. "What? No, no. You won’t go anywhere. We won’t mate. We’ll find another way," he says, his voice panicked as he hugs her tightly.

Odesse buries her face in his shoulder, tightening her eyes. "But I have to," she insists. Valex pleads, "We’ll find another way, my love, please." Odesse states plainly, "Malrik is planning on killing everyone."

Valex’s arms loosen around her as he pulls back lightly, confusion washing over his face. Odesse sniffs and wipes her eyes. "Your brother Malrik was the one who placed the curse on you, and now he has found out about the power I carry. He is planning on killing not just you, but everyone to protect himself."

Valex exclaims, "What! That bastard! How could he possibly do that?" Odesse stares at him and responds, "Malrik is a descendant of the Hollow Walkers."

The blood drains from Valex’s face, leaving him pale and frozen in disbelief. "How is that possible? They are extinct," he stammers.

Odesse shakes her head and says in a low voice, "It seems Malrik is one." Valex, still unable to process what Odesse has said, opens his mouth, but words fail him. Odesse continues, "I’m not just doing this for you alone, but for everyone. Malrik is going to use an ancient art called mourn root, so if I’m able to destroy your curse, Malrik will die either by the reversal of the curse or by his ancestors, and then you’ll be alright, my king."

Valex lowers his head, and Odesse raises it gently, assuring him, "I’ll come back to you, I promise." She tilts her head, tears rolling down her cheeks, and smiles. "I won’t let Malrik win this. Believe me."

Valex speaks in a pleading tone, "You shouldn’t do this, Odesse. I will find a way to stop Malrik. I beg of you, and we will find another way to break the curse."

Odesse smiles warmly and replies, "I want to do this, my king. Besides, it’s been a week since we married, so it’s tradition to mate." Valex retorts, "Forget about the tradition, Odesse." He pulls her in and hugs her tightly. "I don’t want you to leave me, ever. I do not care if we do not mate; I just want you by my side for the rest of my life."

Odesse’s eyes soften, tears flowing freely as she responds, "What kind of wife would I be if I couldn’t satisfy my husband’s desire? What kind of queen would I be if I couldn’t give my king an heir? What kind of woman would I be if I didn’t want to feel completely taken in by the man I love?"

Valex looks at her, captivated by the way her eyes are longing for him. She pulls closer and adds, "I want to be the one who satisfies you, my king. I want you to think of me every morning after every night. When you’re away, I want to be the only one in your heart. I want you to be unable to control yourself the moment your body touches mine. I want you for me and only me."

She takes his hands and places them on her hip, looking into his eyes. " When you think of me, I want you to think of not just my face and my character, but also my body."

Valex gazes at the woman before him, surprised by her transformation from the composed Odesse he knew to this new, passionate version who ignites desires he didn’t realize he still had.

Valex stands first, water rushing off his powerful frame as he finds his footing on the slick marble. Odesse looks up at him, her mouth partly open. He reaches down, sliding one arm firmly behind her back and the other beneath her thighs. Valex looks at her and says, "I have never seen you like this before," as he hauls her upward, his muscles bunching and straining. "Your eyes, your voice—you don’t know how crazy you make me, my love."

The sound of water cascading off their bodies and splashing back into the tub surrounds them. He brings her chest to chest, their bare bodies touching intensely, holding her high against him. He looks into her eyes, his voice a low, jagged rasp, like a man trying to keep his composure while his heart is failing him. "I have faced death a thousand times on the field, my love, and I never blinked. But this... if I lose you to save myself, I am no king. I am nothing."

Odesse touches the back of his neck and reassures him, "Then you won’t lose me, my king. I promise you that." She looks into his eyes for a while and smiles. "Because I want to come back to seeing that hungry look you have for me right now, every single day in a saved kingdom with you as a free king."

He steps out of the bath, his wet feet gripping the floor, and moves toward the connecting bedchamber. He carries her with a careful, steady stride, shielding her body with his own as if she were about to be taken away from him. Reaching the bed, he sinks to his knees at the edge of the mattress, lowering her with a reverence that shows he doesn’t just view her as a woman but as something holy.

Odesse places her hands on his shoulders and says, "I’m nervous." Valex places his hands on her thighs, and Odesse feels the heat surging through her body as he replies, "We don’t have to do this, my love." Odesse smiles and moves to the center of the bed, saying, "I want to, my king, so come to me already," as she lays down slowly.

Valex moves gently toward her, lingering for a moment, hovering above her. He sees a queen who is willing to die for him, and a wife who wants him completely. Odesse smiles as tears stream down her face. "If you don’t want us to do this, just remember that a lot of lives are at stake, my king." Valex’s voice thickens with emotion, his eyes weary. "But what is the use of all this if I don’t have you with me?"

Odesse smiles and says, "I honestly wish there were another way, but my king, when I go into the trance, all you need to do is keep me still on the bed and monitor the blood. Don’t worry; I’ll surely come back to you. I promise, my heart." Valex’s eyes begin to tear up as his tears drop on Odesse’s face. "Hold on to me. Do you hear me?" he whispers, his voice wavering as he looks into her eyes. "When you go into that dark place, you find my voice and crawl back to it."

She puts her arm around his neck and drags him down with a smile. He lets himself melt into her arms as she kisses him. Valex’s hands make their way to her back, lifting her slightly. The heat burns through their bodies. Valex pulls his arm down to her thighs, gripping it like a man hungry and ready to devour. Odesse breathes heavily, closing her eyes. Valex looks at her and asks, "Are you sure, my love?" Odesse nods slightly and replies, "Yes, I am."

Valex pulls her into his chest as she holds his back tightly, gripping her foot in the air and screaming at the top of her lungs. He pulls her in for a kiss as tears roll from his eyes, his hands on her breasts and her arms around his neck. The sensation from Valex burns through her skin and into her body. He moves his head down to her neck, kissing it and then to her bosom, suckling gently. Odesse feels her body on fire.

Valex touches every part of her like a wolf marking its territory, his amber eyes glowing as the heat causes sweat to surge from both their bodies. It continues in various ways for minutes, leading to an hour with no sign of any trance. Valex loses himself in her, his hands gripping her with a mix of desperation and adoration. As he moves his head down toward her genitals, Odesse suddenly feels a coldness spreading from her chest to her fingertips, even as her body remains warm.

The sound of Valex’s voice and breathing begins to echo, sounding further and further away. Odesse’s fingers, which had been buried in his hair, slip away, and her arms fall uselessly onto the silk sheets. Her head rolls back, and her eyes suddenly roll back as she enters the trance. Valex, caught in the height of his emotion, suddenly feels her go limp. He pulls back, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he searches her face.

Odesse?" he chokes out, his voice cracking. "My love, look at me." Her eyes are open, but she isn’t there. Then the first drop appears—a slow, obsidian black tear that spills from her eyes and stains her pale cheek.