The silence stretched long enough to become uncomfortable.
Every set of eyes in the room remained fixed on me.
Julian stood at the head of the table like something carved from stone, his brown eyes sharp with calculation. Drake leaned forward slightly, arms folded, studying me like a problem he didn’t trust. James had settled back against the wall again, though the faint grin from earlier still lingered.
Lucy stood beside my chair, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her presence.
And then there were the two wolves beside me.
Kael sat to my right, his massive frame still, silent—but the tension radiating off him was impossible to miss. His hand rested against the table, fingers slightly curled.
Ready.
The protective energy around him was subtle.
But unmistakable.
Ronan sa
