The rules were set. But rules were made to be followed or broken.
Xander knew it the moment they all stepped into the kitchen that morning.
The shift was subtle, so subtle that anyone else would have missed it. But not Xander.
Ava moved differently around Tristan.
She carried herself with a strange, quiet ease, like someone who had stopped bracing for impact. Like someone who finally understood the rules of a game she hadn’t realized she was playing.
She hovered near the counter, reaching for a mug, and her eyes flicked toward Tristan before she even realized they’d moved.
Xander saw it. He Felt it. The tiny jolt that ran through her body when Tristan brushed her arm on the way to the sink.
“Tristan, do you want coffee?” Her voice sounded so soft and gentle when she said his name.
