The rain was still falling, soft now, almost apologetic after the earlier storm, but the world inside the packhouse felt like a furnace. My pulse hammered in my ears, too loud, too fast, and every breath tasted of them—Kai, Lucien, Darius, and Rowan—each scent weaving through the air like threads I couldn’t untangle.I’d stormed out of the council room after the verdict had been announced—half victory, half insult—and now stood in the hallway, palms flat against the wall, trying to keep my knees from giving out.“Running again?”The voice came from my left, smooth and edged like a blade—Lucien. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes like molten silver in the dim light.I straightened. “I’m not running.”He pushed off the wall, closing the distance between us with deliberate slowness. “Then why does it feel like you’re about to disappear?”T
Last Updated : 2025-08-16 Read more