Lucian’s grip tightened so I could feel the weight of his rage. His eyes burned with something dark—anger, fear, both. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t look away. I finally understood something critical. They wouldn’t kill me. Not now. Not when I was the only thing keeping them from unraveling.
I had calmed Lucian, and he knew it. And my presence must have been helping Kieran, too. He wasn’t just tormenting me by keeping me close all the time. He was clinging to me.
“I’m not your enemy,” I said, voice steady despite the pressure on my throat. “I am the one thing keeping your wolves from breaking free and tearing this place apart.”
Lucian’s eyes narrowed.
“I know what’s happening,” I continued. “The loss of control. The bloodlust. You and Kieran are breaking, and you know it. You can feel it.”
