Liam's POV
The cool night air carried a gentle whisper across the trees, and the leaves trembled as I stood outside the mansion, looking up. The moon, full and brilliant, was gradually emerging from behind a screen of black clouds, casting a gentle sheen over the vast area of land before me. The wind blew gently, but I barely noticed it. My mind was filled with a feverish expectation that gnawed at my patience.
Steven was coming. He had to.
I shifted position, my boots sinking into the damp earth beneath my feet. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, pulled tight with anticipation. The manor behind me loomed over me, its former glory nothing but a short-term war zone now. The war wasn't over, not yet.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Maya edging a little closer, her arms folded tightly over her chest as she let out a small sigh. She was restless, too. I could hear it in her breathing, feel it in the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
"I d
