The silence in the library was heavy, punctuated only by the occasional crackle of the fireplace that Silas had lit before joining them. Jax remained on the window seat, his hand still resting over Elena’s, while Silas stood by the large mahogany desk, his shadow stretching long across the floor. Kael leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed, watching the tension in the room like a storm front moving in.
"You can't just drop that on me and expect me to sit here and wait for the 'replacement' to happen," Elena said, her voice echoing off the high, book-lined shelves. She looked at Silas, her eyes sharp. "Is that why you’re so desperate to bond? To fulfill a quota before the Council comes for us?"
"No," Silas said, his voice flat but firm. He walked toward the window, stopping a few fe
