Elena
*****Later That Night — Beyond the Ruins*****
The truth hung between us long after the fire burned lower.
Chase didn’t move closer.
Didn’t reach for me.
Didn’t ask for anything.
That somehow made it worse.
I sat beside him, close enough to feel the heat of his body, far enough that nothing could be misunderstood. The twins slept a few steps away, guarded by two warriors and a silence that felt too fragile to breathe in.
“I should check on them,” I murmured, needing an excuse to move.
“They’re safe,” Chase said gently. “I can hear their heartbeats.”
Of course he could.
I nodded anyway and stayed where I was.
The night wind carried the smell of ash and iron. Somewhere in the dark, a wolf howled, distant, warning, restless. My chest tightened. Peace never lasted. It teased.
