Lyra POV
The warmth of Jaxon’s lap anchored me, his strong arms wrapped around my waist as I clung to him, my lips pressed to his in a kiss that felt like a lifeline. The small room at the Full Moon Inn, with its soft lamplight and lingering scent of roasted chicken, seemed to fade, the world narrowing to just us.
My fingers threaded through his dark hair, and I poured everything into that kiss—my belief in him, my sorrow for his pain, my need to show him he wasn’t alone. His story, the raw anguish of being framed for his parents’ murder, banished by his own brother, still echoed in my heart. I understood what it was to be rejected, to have your truth buried under lies, and I wanted him to know I saw him, the real Jaxon, not the renegade Morgana branded him.
His hands tightened on my h
