Chapter 186

Elara's POV

Zarek caught my hands before I could pull away. His grip wasn't rough, but there was a tremor of urgency beneath it. When he turned to face me, his dark eyes gleamed with a rare, unguarded light.

"If you don't despise me for what I am… then swear it, Elara. Don't just say you'll accept me. Prove it. Be better to me than anyone else ever has. Promise me that."

For a heartbeat, I