HOPE'S POV.
The morning air was cold and smelled of wet leaves as I ran through the woods, my running shoes crunching over mud and twigs. My breath came in steady bursts, fogging in front of me, but my mind wasn’t on the run. It was on him—the stranger I’d saved last night. Kian.
I shook my head, trying to focus on the rhythm of my steps, but my thoughts kept circling back. Goddess only knows what I had gotten myself into by sticking my neck out for that man. And now… Prince Damon. He’d suspended me from patrol duty and was threatening to strip me of my Delta position. My fists tightened. Goddess help me.
I let out a heavy sigh and slowed, hands on my knees, letting my legs catch their strength. I needed a moment to rest. My head felt like chaos.
As I crouched down, catching my breath,
