Shadows of Desire

Sealed in Blood

Dominic's PoV

The door to Catalina's office closed behind me with a soft click, cutting off the noise from the wedding reception.

The moment we crossed that threshold, the atmosphere shifted. The pomp and ceremony were over; now, it was just the two of us, stripped of the façade we'd worn all day.

I leaned against her desk, watching as she slipped off her heels with a sigh of relief.

Even in her wedding dress, she moved with the same grace and confidence that had always drawn me to her, a reminder that beneath the silk and lace was a woman who could hold her own against anyone-myself included.

She didn't speak at first, her attention focused on something in the far corner of the room. "Hold on," she said, moving toward a bookshelf.

I raised an eyebrow, curious as she ran her fingers along the spines of the books.

There was a soft click, and then part of the wall slid open to reveal a hidden wardrobe. Leave it to Catalina to have secret compartments in her office-nothing was ever as it seemed with her.

She pulled out a dark red pajama dress, one that looked as silky as it was simple. As she turned to the bathroom, she glanced at me over her shoulder. "Give me a moment."

I nodded, not needing to fill the silence. I was used to the quiet, used to waiting-two things that had served me well in this life.

But as the door to the bathroom closed, I found myself thinking about the events of the day, about the woman who had just become my wife.

Catalina Cassietta. My equal in every sense of the word. The alliance between our families had been a long time coming, but this marriage-this partnership-was something neither of us had planned for.

We were both here out of necessity, forced to play this hand because of the cards we'd been dealt.

And yet, there was something about her that intrigued me, something that went beyond the strategic importance of our union. She was beautiful, yes, but it was more than that.

It was the way she carried herself, the way she didn't flinch in the face of danger. The way she looked at me, not with fear or submission, but with the same cold, calculating gaze that I often gave others.

She emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, her wedding dress replaced by that silky red number that clung to her in all the right places.

Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, but it didn't matter-she could wear anything and still command the room.

"Comfortable?" I asked, my voice low.

She gave me a small smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "As comfortable as one can be after marrying their enemy."

Her words hung in the air between us, a reminder of what we both knew but hadn't said out loud: this was a marriage of convenience, not love.

We were allies because we had to be, because together we were stronger than apart. But that didn't mean we trusted each other. Not yet.

"Is that what we are now? Enemies?" I asked, pushing off the desk and taking a step closer.

"We were never just enemies, Dominic," she said, her voice firm.

I nodded, acknowledging the truth of her words. What we were now-what we could become-was still undefined.

But I had no doubt that whatever it was, it would be powerful, dangerous, and unstoppable.

"We're allies," she continued, her tone final. "For now."

"For now," I repeated, filing away the nuance in her words. Everything was temporary in our world, alliances most of all.

But this one-this marriage-felt different. It was as if we were both aware that this wasn't just a temporary truce; it was the start of something bigger.

"And in the future?" I pressed, wanting to hear her thoughts.

"That depends on how well we play this game."

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. She was as sharp as ever, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. We were both players in a deadly game, and now we were on the same side. For now.

She gestured to the chairs near the desk. "Have a seat."

I obliged, taking one of the chairs as she settled into the other. The casual intimacy of the moment wasn't lost on me, but I pushed it aside.

There was time to explore whatever was between us later. Right now, we needed to lay the groundwork for our new empire.

"We need to consolidate our power," she began, leaning forward slightly. "This marriage is just the first step. Our families and our crews are still feeling each other out, but we need to show a united front."

I nodded. "Agreed. We need to solidify our territories and make it clear to everyone-both inside and outside our organizations-that any attempts to undermine us will be met with swift and severe consequences."

She smirked, a look of approval crossing her features. "I like the way you think."

I watched her closely as she spoke, appreciating the cold efficiency in her words. She wasn't just talking about maintaining order; she was talking about dominance, about making sure no one ever dared to challenge us. It was ruthless, yes, but in our world, it was necessary.

"We should also start integrating our operations," she continued. "We'll need to streamline communication between our crews, ensure that everyone knows their place in the new hierarchy."

"And any dissent?" I asked, though I already knew her answer.

"We deal with it quickly and decisively," she said, her voice cold. "There can be no room for weakness."

I studied her, taking in the way she held herself, the way she didn't flinch at the idea of what needed to be done. She was as ruthless as I was, maybe even more so, and that only made me want her more.

"You're ruthless, Catalina. I expected nothing less."

She shrugged, unbothered by the observation. "It's how I've survived this long."

"And it's why we're going to make this work," I said, my tone certain.

As we continued to discuss the details of our alliance, hammering out the logistics of how we would combine our forces, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between us.

There was a new level of understanding, a mutual respect that hadn't been there before.

But it was more than that. There was something deeper, something that neither of us was willing to acknowledge yet.

It was a dangerous thing, this pull between us, but it was there, lurking beneath the surface.

And I knew it was only a matter of time before it came to the forefront.

As the conversation wore on, I found myself wondering what the future would hold for us.

We had started as enemies, and now we were allies, partners in every sense of the word. But I couldn't help but think that this was just the beginning.

Whatever lay ahead, I was ready for it. And I had no doubt that Catalina was too.

This marriage might have been born out of necessity, but as I looked at her now, I couldn't help but think that it could become something more. Something powerful. Something unstoppable.

Only time would tell.