KAIA’S POV
I sat back against the pillows, watching Leander shut the door behind Jace and Harold. The sound of the lock clicking into place seemed louder than it should have been, and a heavy silence settled over the room.
Leander didn’t move right away. He leaned his forehead briefly against the door, then turned slowly, a long sigh slipping from his lips.
His hand went up to his neck again, rubbing at it like he was trying to ease away something buried deep in him. He’d been doing that a lot since he returned, an unconscious gesture that told me more than his words ever did. He carried his tension there in the same spot, rubbing like it would help.
“You look tense,” I said gently, breaking the silence.
His eyes met mine. He didn’t even try to deny it. “I am tense,” he admitted, his
