Velara's POV.
No!
The word screamed through my mind the moment I heard Lucian's voice, calm and genuine, offering sanctuary. Offering peace. I stand frozen just outside the medical tent, the heavy canvas shielding me from view, but not from sound. Every word that passes between them hits me like a blow, each sentence unraveling the carefully woven lie that I have been living with for years.
They can't. They can't live together. Not now. Not like this.
My heart thunders in my chest, not from fear of Lucian hurting Malakar - no. That isn't who Lucian is. Not anymore. I can feel it in my bones. But Malakar finding out the truth. That's a different beast entirely.
The secret I've buried deeper than any grave. The betrayal I've tried to cloak in silence, guilt, and good intentions. What wi
