Chapter 29: The Breaking Point

The Architect had vanished into the caves, but the immediate threat was neutralized. The rest of the squad was moving up, Thorne and Jax providing security.

James didn't move. He kept his hands on my shoulders, his forehead leaning against mine. The adrenaline was fading, leaving a raw, terrifying silence between us.

"You almost died," he whispered, his voice thick with a jagged, suppressed sob. "You ran into the open for me."

"I did it for the mission, Sir," I lied, my voice trembling.

"Don't lie to me," he snapped, his grip tightening. "Not after today. Not after that letter. I can't keep doing this, Coraline. I can't lead this unit while I’m watching you die a thousand times a day in my head."

He pulled back just enough to look at my face—the patches of white skin, the dirt, the sweat. He didn't see a "witch." He didn't even see a soldier.

"I don't care about Major Sterling," James said, his voice a low, desperate growl. "I don't care about the regulations. If I lose you, there’s nothing left of me to court-martial."

He didn't wait for me to answer. He leaned in and kissed me—a hard, desperate collision of salt and heat and desperation. It wasn't a movie kiss; it was a drowning man catching a breath of air. For a moment, the war, the mountains, and the men on the ridge didn't exist. There was only the weight of the stone in my pocket and the man holding onto me like I was the only thing keeping him on the earth.