R A I D E N
The silence stretched.
Mr. Hale’s eyes flicked away from mine. His jaw worked as if he were chewing on the words, weighing them, afraid of what speaking them aloud might summon.
He shook his head faintly.
“No…” he whispered. “I can’t…”
One of the guards shifted.
Just one step forward.
The scrape of his boot against the floor was enough.
Mr. Hale broke.
“She’s my daughter,” he blurted out, panic cracking his voice wide open. “Nyx is my daughter.”
Liora let out a sharp, broken gasp.
I went very still.
My wolf went silent.
The room seemed to tilt, the torchlight flickering violently as the truth slammed into place with brutal clarity.
Nyx.
Not a spirit.
Not a possession.
Not a mistake.
A child.
A daughter.
And somehow… fused with Ayla.
My gaze hardened as I le
