Iman's voice was steady, though her heart raced. "Make me a Vampire."
The words struck Lucien like a blade. His eyes widened, the calm mask he always wore cracking for the first time. He pulled back slightly, staring at her as if he hadn't heard correctly.
"You… you don't know what you're asking," he said, his voice rough, almost breaking. His hand dropped from her cheek, curling into a fist at his side. "To become one of us is not just power. It's hunger. It's losing pieces of yourself you'll never get back."
Iman stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "I do know. I've watched you. I've seen Dorian. I've seen the cost. And still, I want it."
Lucien's breath caught, his chest rising and falling unevenly. For a moment, he looked away, as if the weight of her words was too heavy to bear. His jaw tightened, his eyes dark with conflict when he finally met her gaze again.
"You'd give up your humanity… for me?" he whispered, disbelief and fear tangled in his voice.
Iman's lips trembled, but her resolve held. "Not just for you. For Layla. For all of us. I won't stand behind while you fight. I want to stand beside you."
Lucien's expression softened, torn between love and dread. His hand rose again, brushing her cheek with trembling fingers. "Iman… you're asking me to damn you to my world. To bind you to shadows forever."
Her voice was quiet, but unshaken. "Then let the shadows come."
For a long moment, silence hung between them, heavy and unbroken. Lucien's eyes closed, his jaw tight as if he were fighting himself. But when he opened them again, the conflict had shifted — replaced by a quiet, fierce resolve.
His hand tightened around hers. "Then I'll do it," he whispered, his voice rough but steady. "I'll give you the strength you're asking for. I'll make you mine, fully."
Iman's breath caught, her heart racing. Relief and anticipation mingled in her chest. "You mean it?"
Lucien nodded, his gaze burning into hers. "I mean it. But not just as a vampire. I want more than that."
She blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "More?"
Lucien's voice softened, but carried the weight of eternity. "Marry me, Iman. Become one with me forever. Not just in shadow, not just in battle — but in life, in eternity."
Her lips parted, her heart pounding so hard she thought he might hear it. Tears welled in her eyes, shimmering in the dim light.
"Lucien…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Yes. I'll marry you."
Lucien pulled her into his arms, holding her as if the world itself could not tear them apart. His lips brushed her hair, his voice a vow. "Then when the time comes, I'll give you my blood… and my name. You'll be mine, forever."
Iman closed her eyes against his chest, a smile breaking through her tears. For the first time, the looming shadow of the Order felt smaller, weaker. Because now, she wasn't just training for survival — she was bound to Lucien, heart and soul.
The night around them seemed to hold its breath, as if the stars themselves bore witness to their promise.