Ravena's POV
The moment his thumb gently wiped the blood from my cheek, everything around us faded.
The clanging of metal, the screams, the growls. All of it melted into the background like a bad dream.
All I could feel was him. His touch, his closeness. And the way he looked at me.
That wasn’t the prince who barked orders and made men tremble.
That was Evander.
And his eyes held a tenderness that burned hotter than any flame.
It made my heart skip. Literally stop and stutter.
I stepped back first, needing air, needing space that didn’t feel like I was drowning in heat. My hand brushed his, and I almost pulled away.
But I didn’t.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said, forcing my voice to sound steady.
He didn’t answer. Just followed.
For a few steps, he was quiet. Then, suddenly,
