Midnight dropped the photograph, but her eyes never left it.
The room felt smaller, heavier. The air thick with tension, with unspoken truths ready to crush her.
Kael stepped closer, silver eyes blazing, his presence anchoring her even as her mind raced. The mate bond flared violently, pulsing between them like a lifeline—and a warning.
“She tried to save you,” Kael said softly, voice low, dangerous. “But your father… your father is Malakar.”
The words hit harder than any blow she’d taken last night. Midnight staggered back against the balcony railing.
“No,” she whispered. “That… that can’t be true.”
Lucien stepped closer, eyes sharp. “It’s true. Malakar engineered you. He mixed your mother’s bloodline with demon essence to create the ultimate hybrid.”
Midnight’s chest tightened pai
