Cassian’s POV
She sat at the far end of the couch, legs pulled up, hoodie sleeves covering her hands like she thought they could shield her from the world. Or maybe from me.
We were back home.
My home. Technically my father's house, but he was always away. Meetings. Diplomacy. Pack s**t. Whatever. It didn’t matter. The place was quiet now. Just me, her, and a million things neither of us knew how to say.
She looked smaller than usual.
And she was already small.
I leaned against the wall across from her, arms crossed, eyes scanning her face. She was pretending not to feel me staring. I didn’t call her out on it.
The mark I gave her was faint but clear enough. A smear of something primal on the side of her neck. Not the real thing. I hadn't bitten her. Wouldn’t. But I had to make it l
