37. Kaisner
KAISNER
“K aisner?”
Her voice, laced with confusion and a flicker of trepidation, slices through the haze of my thoughts. She stiffens in my arms, her breath catching—shallow, uncertain. I can feel the shift in her pulse, scent the sudden spike of adrenaline coursing through her veins.
I tighten my hold, my hand gliding down the smooth expanse of her back, a slow, deliberate caress meant to soothe.
“Shh, meine Kleine ,” I murmur, pressing my lips to her temple.
“It’s all right. I would never hurt you.
You know that.” The words are a vow, a sacred promise infused with the depth of my devotion.
“Don’t be afraid, Clarissa,” I say, my voice low, urgent. “I need your help. It’s the only way.”
She swallows hard, her delicate throat working, her wide eyes flickering between apprehension and something else—curiosity, perhaps. A deep, instinctive understanding that what I’m about to ask will change everything.
“What do you mean?” she breathes. “ What way?”
The tension in her body softens, just barely, and she melts back into my embrace.
Her warmth, her trust, is a balm against the chaos within me.
“I trust you, Kaisner. With everything that I am.” Her words carve into my soul like a blade, but even as she says them, I glimpse the questions forming in her gaze.
I steel myself. There’s no turning back now.
Reluctantly, I disentangle from her warmth, the cool air of the room rushing between us as I stand. I reach for my discarded boxer briefs, sliding them on swiftly. “We should get dressed,” I murmur, offering my hand.
She takes it, graceful even now, the moonlight catching in her golden strands as she rises. The sight nearly makes me reconsider the need for clothes at all.
I frown at her rain-damp gown, shaking my head. “You can’t put this back on.” Without waiting for protest, I stride to my wardrobe and pull a soft black cashmere sweater from its hanger, along with a pair of tailored trousers.
When I return, I help her dress, my fingers brushing over her skin in lazy, reverent strokes.
I guide the sweater over her head, smoothing the fabric down her arms. It drapes over her beautifully, swallowing her in warmth—swallowing her in me .
A quiet, possessive satisfaction hums through me at the sight.
Next, the trousers. I kneel before her, holding them open. She steps in without hesitation. My hands glide up her legs as I pull them into place, fingers grazing her hips. Before fastening them, I press a gentle kiss to her bare skin, inhaling deeply, memorizing her scent.
She shivers. Not from the cold.
Standing, I adjust the sweater, my hands lingering at her waist. “Perfect,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Only then do I turn to dress myself, buttoning my shirt with measured precision. In the mirror, I catch her watching me, eyes filled with unspoken questions.
I shrug on my jacket, the leather settling around my shoulders like armor. Preparing me.
“We need to talk,” I say softly, my hands finding hers. She twines our fingers together without hesitation. A perfect fit.
A perfect offering.
“Come,” I say. “Let’s walk in the gardens.”
The night air is thick with the scent of impending rain, the sky above churning, restless. The starlit path winds before us like a ribbon of silver, leading us deeper into the shadows of my estate.
As we near the marble folly, the first drops begin to fall, cool and sharp against our skin. The heavens open as we step beneath the shelter of the domed roof, rain hammering against stone, a relentless, rhythmic pulse.
Clarissa shivers beside me, wrapping her arms around herself. I fight the urge to pull her closer, to keep her warm, to keep her safe.
I lean against the balustrade, staring out at the darkened landscape. Now or never.
“Clarissa.” My voice is low and rough, heavy with reluctant truth. “The only way we can truly be together is if your brother respects me.”
She turns, confusion knitting her brows. “But he already respects you, Kaisner.”
A mirthless chuckle escapes me. “No, baby girl. Nikolaas fears me.” I exhale, shaking my head.
“I don’t want his fear. I want him to see me as his equal.
” The admission is bitter on my tongue, a truth I’ve spent weeks denying.
“But as long as he remains the Last Dragon Shifter, that will never happen.”
Her fingers lace through mine, an instinctive offer of comfort. “Then what can we do?”
I turn to face her fully, searching her expression. “You know my reputation. What I do. What I work with.”
She doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t recoil. “You work with daemons.” A simple statement. No judgment. Just fact.
Pride stirs in my chest.
“Yes. I’ve mastered the shadows, forged them into my own.” My gaze darkens. “And through them, I’ve found a way to awaken my dragon.”
Her lips part, her breath hitching. Excitement. Fascination, even.
“Tell me,” she breathes.
My fingers brush over a rain-dampened strand of her hair, lingering against her cheek. She leans into my touch. “I’ve found a ritual,” I murmur. “An ancient spell that could unlock my power. But I can’t do it alone.”
Realization dawns in her gaze, cutting through the stormy night like lightning.
“You mean to summon a daemon,” she whispers.
I nod.
She blinks once, twice. Her jaw tightens. “The spell calls for blood, doesn’t it?”
My throat works around a single, solemn nod. “My clan’s bloodline has been too diluted over the centuries.”
She exhales sharply. Understanding flickers in her gaze. “So you need my blood.”
Silence.
Clarissa’s brow furrows. “But Kaisner, blood daemons... they’re insatiable. How can we be sure it won’t demand more than you’re willing to give?”
A slow, confident smile tugs at my lips. “You’re right, Liebes . A daemon always hungers for more. But I’ve planned for this.”
I lift the pendant hanging around my neck, the metal cool against my palm. The ancient runes etched into its surface glow faintly beneath the dim light.
“This amulet is imbued with powerful protective magic. A relic I acquired through... less than conventional means.” I smirk. “It can deceive even the most cunning of daemons.”
I lower my voice, my tone threading with seduction, with persuasion. “With this, we can control how much blood is given. It will believe it’s drinking deeply, but in reality, you’ll be safe.”
Clarissa turns away, and I can almost see the thoughts racing through her mind. The risks, the consequences—every warning she’s ever been told about daemons.
And yet, she doesn’t run.
“It’s dangerous, I know,” I say. “But with your lineage, with our combined strength, we could control it. Harness its power.” I pause, letting the words settle. “It’s the only way, baby girl. The only way Nikolaas will ever see me as his equal. The only way we can be together without fear.”
I reach for her, my hand resting on her shoulder. “Clarissa,” I murmur, leaning close. “I wouldn’t ask this of you if there were any other way.”
A slow breath. A heartbeat of silence. The fate of my future, of our future, hangs in the balance of her decision.
And then?—
“Then take it, Kaisner.”
I tense.
She turns, her eyes blazing with something fierce. Unwavering. “Take what you need. I told you, I trust you with everything that I am. My heart, my soul... my blood. It’s all yours.”
Relief slams into me, raw and brutal.
Before I can stop myself, I fall to my knees. And in a moment that feels both unexpected and inevitable, Clarissa mirrors me, sinking before me.
The moment crashes over me. I’m struck senseless with shock. This woman—this beautiful, fearless woman—has just offered me the one thing I never thought I’d ask for. She’s willing to risk it all, to stake her trust in me, despite everything.
A tidal wave of devotion surges through me, a fierce, possessive love that shakes me to the core. This isn’t just desire. This is something far deeper, something I didn’t know I was capable of feeling.
I gather her in my arms, crushing her to me, inhaling the scent of jasmine in her skin, the scent of home.
“You humble me,” I breathe against her hair, my voice cracking with the force of it. “Your trust… your love—gods, Clarissa, it’s more than I ever dared to ask for. More than I ever believed I deserved.”
And in that moment, for the first time in my life, I believe in forever.
I draw back, cupping her face in both hands, my thumbs brushing away the tears she doesn’t realize she’s crying. My eyes bore into hers, and for once, I don’t hold back.
“Know this, Liebes : everything that I am—every breath, every sin, every shadow—is yours now. My soul. My blood. My fucking heart.”
A low, reverent growl rumbles in my chest. “Some bonds are written in blood, others in starlight. But ours? Ours was forged in dragon fire… Du bist mein Ein und Alles ,” I breathe. You’re my everything.
She pulls back just far enough to whisper, voice trembling but unshakable, “Und du bist meine Welt.”
I still.
“You speak German?” I can’t stop the smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
A delicate blush colors her cheeks. “Enough to tell you that you’re my world.” Her arms tighten around me, her voice a breeze of devotion against the shell of my ear. “No matter what comes, I will stand by you.”
The words ruin me.
And gods help me, I know then—I will destroy anything that dares take her from me.
Even myself.