Avery's POV
Lucian didn't flinch. He didn't even drop his hand from my jawline. Instead, his fingers traced an inch lower, down my throat, feeling the terrified, rapid fluttering of my pulse beneath his palm.
A low, humorless chuckle vibrated deep in his chest. A rumbling sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Your pulse is racing, sister,” Lucian murmured, tilting his head toward the sound of Lena’s voice, though his unseeing eyes remained fixed in my direction.
"I can hear the blood roaring in your veins from across the room. You are angry. Your jaw is clenched so tightly. But you forget who you are speaking to in this room.”
"I am speaking to my brother," Lena spat, stepping forward. The heavy silk of her gown hissed against the floorboards, an aggressive, rus
