Author’s POV:
The first streaks of dawn bled through the glass windows of Alaric's study, staining the room in crimson and gold. He stood before the cold fireplace, his broad shoulders tense, the muscles along his jaw twitching like a trapped nerve. His claws had left deep prints on his desk, the wood splintered where his fingers had curled into fists.
He couldn’t get himself to sleep. Kept asking himself questions he had no answers to
*Why would Thalia lie?*
*Who else has she been sleeping with?*
“What was she doing in the woods?”
And just then—-
A knock.
Soft. Uninvited.
Disrupting his thoughts.
It was her.
Valerie.
She entered without waiting for permission, the silk of her dressing gown whispering against her thighs as she moved. In her hands, she carried a steamin
