ENZO'S POV
"Calm down, Enzo," he whispered into my ear, the warmth of his breath fanning against my skin, making the shivers ripple down my spine. The kiss still lingered on my lips, hot and dizzying. My heart thundered in my chest like a war drum, this feeling is do new to me.
"I'll burn the world for you if that's what it takes to keep you safe," he continued, his voice raw, almost reverent, like he meant every syllable. "And I don't care if you see me as a monster. I'll never stop protecting you. That's how much I love you. That's how much you mean to me."
My chest constricted with the weight of his words. Love. Protection. Destruction. He spoke of them all as if they were one and the same.
"Thank you for caring for me," I whispered, my voice fragile beneath the storm of his intensity, "but you don't have to do that. What if you land yourself in jail, Alaric? How will you protect me from in there?" I looked up at him, searching for logic in the fire behind his eyes.
