Sofia barely had time to retreat into the bedroom before the door swung open with enough force to rattle the frame.
Julian Blackwood filled the doorway like a force of nature. Rainwater still clung to his black coat, dripping onto the hardwood floor. His stormy gray eyes locked onto her immediately, burning with a thousand unspoken things — shock, fury, hunger, and something raw that looked dangerously close to pain.
The broken mate bond between them screamed to life. Sofia felt it like a live wire pulled taut, yanking at her chest. Her body recognized him instantly, traitorously. Heat flared under her skin even as her mind screamed at her to stay strong.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Julian’s gaze dropped to her stomach, still mostly flat beneath the oversized hoodie, then
