The familiar voice cut through the murmur of the hall like a blade. Kate turned, her heart stuttering in a way it hadn’t in months. Dimitri stiffened beside her, his hand tightening protectively on her arm.
Elliott stood close now, blue eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her breath catch. There was still something there—a faint echo of the bond that had once consumed them both—but it felt distant, muffled, like a song heard through deep water. She tried to push it down. He had made his choice. She had to accept it.
He offered a warm, careful smile, then flicked his gaze to Dimitri. His jaw clenched when he saw their linked arms.
“Can we talk for a moment?” he asked, voice low. “Alone?”
Kate glanced up at Dimitri, uncertainty flickering across her face. Before she could answe
