Chapter 29ELENA’S POVThe forest swallowed me whole.Dawn had barely broken, but the trees here were ancient and dense, their branches blocking most of the weak morning light. My legs ached with every step. The torn hem of my gown dragged through mud and fallen leaves, heavy and cold. I had run for hours after leaving the palace, stopping only when my lungs burned and my vision blurred with exhaustion.Anger still simmered in my chest, hot and unrelenting. Betrayal cut deeper with every memory that surfaced.I kept seeing it — Lucien and Heather locked in that kiss. Her arms around his neck, his hands on her waist. The way he hadn’t pushed her away. While I had foolishly gone to his chambers hoping for an explanation, he had been with her.A healer. That’s all I was to him. A convenient doctor he had kept in the guest wing after our one reckless night. Nothing more.My stomach twisted violently. I leaned against a thick tree trunk, pressing a hand to my belly as nausea rolled through
Read more