Dane:
She’s gone. That thought hit me harder than any strike, any sparring blow I’ve taken. One moment, her fire was in my sights, burning brighter than the sun, and the next… she disappeared down the path like smoke, leaving nothing but the ache of absence behind.
Dominic was already there, like a shadow molded to her, steady and unyielding. I couldn’t fault him. Not really. But that didn’t make the sting any less sharp. I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms.
And then Alyssa appeared.
Her approach was silent at first, but I felt her before I saw her—the shift of air, the calculated sway in her hips, the sort of smile that never reached her eyes. She stopped a few paces from me, hands folded loosely, posture casual yet deliberate.
“You look… tense,” she said, voice soft
