Lucian’s POV
I hadn’t seen Elara for two full days.
I knew she was deliberately avoiding me. Every time a servant mentioned her name or I caught the faint trace of her scent in the corridor, I forced myself to turn the other way. She was probably still embarrassed by what happened in her room — the kiss, the way I had pinned her against the wall, the things I had growled against her mouth. I didn’t blame her. I had pushed too far, too fast.
I wanted to make up an excuse to see her. Something simple. A question about the garden. A report from the physician. Anything. But every idea sounded ridiculous even in my own head. She had been here barely three months. Three months of chaos, rejection, rescue, power surges, and now this… whatever this was between us. Telling her how I truly felt r
