Ari and Bram were still sitting close, the air between them warm and charged from everything she’d just told him, Selene, Eilidh, the prophecy, their bond, when the door flew open without so much as a knock. Torin burst in like a storm. “Right, well, I hope ye two aren’t doing anything I’ll need therapy for...” “Torin,” Bram growled, voice low and dangerous. Torin froze mid‑stride. “Ah. So I am interrupting.” Before Bram could throw something at him, Moira stepped in behind him, swatting Torin’s arm with a dish towel. “Ye dinnae barge into people’s rooms, ye great oaf.” Torin muttered something about “royal timing” and “bloody fate” under his breath. Moira turned to Ari, her expression softening instantly. She dipped her head in a respectful bow. “Good mornin’, my Queen.” Ari blinked.

