Chapter 8: The Breaking For a moment that stretched into eternity, neither of them moved. Lucian's fingers remained against her cheek, her tears wet against his skin. Aveline stared at him through blurred vision, her heart pounding so hard she was certain he must feel it. Then, slowly, as if moving through water, Lucian's arms opened. He gathered her against his chest with infinite care—mindful of her IV, her weakness, her fragility. One arm wrapped around her back, the other cradling her head, pressing her gently into the warmth of his body. Aveline's forehead came to rest against his chest. Beneath the fine cotton of his shirt, she could hear his heartbeat—steady, strong, alive. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with his scent: sandalwood and something uniquely him, the smell of home she'd been too blind to recognize. His hand moved to her hair, stroking slowly, rhythmically, the way one might soothe a frightened child. "It's okay," he murmured, his voice rough with emot
Last Updated : 2026-03-08 Read more