Nicholas’s POV
I sat on the edge of the bed in my bedroom, elbow on my knees, head bowed like a man waiting for execution.
The room was dim, lit only by the moonlight coming through the window, casting long shadows that danced across the stone walls like ghosts mocking me.
My mind kept ringing with that one damn question Marco had thrown at me: What if she finds true love... and it's not with you? It echoed over and over, a relentless hammer pounding against my skull.
I didn’t want her to fall in love with anyone. Not even me. Not yet. Not until we found that missing segment—the key to protecting her from the predators lurking in the shadows. She couldn’t afford to open her heart to anyone. If she did, it could trigger everything, and we weren’t ready. Hell, I wasn’t ready.
The thou
