They call it justice when the witches burn. On the Mortal Isle, holy fire and iron brands are the only fate for mortals born with magic. Lydia has survived by being small, obedient, and forgettable-just another dutiful daughter of the man who oversees the witch trials. But the pendant at her throat beats warm as a second heart, and the screams in the temple never feel as righteous as they're supposed to. When a Fae delegation docks at the forbidden island, Lydia's careful life begins to crack. A golden heir in forest green watches her like a puzzle he means to solve, while his dog shifter warrior would gladly throw her to the wolves. Between the ruthless church and the immortal courts, Lydia discovers she may not be as powerless, or as human, as everyone believes. To survive in a world that would rather burn her than bow, Lydia must choose: keep playing the quiet, dutiful girl...or bind herself to the forbidden magic waking in her bones and become the monster they always feared.

Some stories don't begin with touch. They begin with a look that lasts a second longer than it should. Maya lives in control-of her words, her emotions, her boundaries. Anika lives in observation-of light, silence, and the things people don't say out loud. When their paths cross again, nothing obvious happens. No declarations. No mistakes. Just pauses. Moments heavy with meaning. Conversations that feel unfinished. A growing awareness that what they're avoiding might already be choosing them. Between the Pauses is a slow-burn lesbian romance about unspoken desire, emotional tension, and the intimacy that forms long before bodies meet. It explores longing, restraint, and the quiet pull of someone who feels familiar before they feel forbidden. This is not a story of rushing in. It's a story of leaning closer-and wondering who will move first.