Naomi’s pov :
The library's heavy silence pressed on me like a weight, the scent of aged paper and leather doing nothing to calm the storm in my chest. I'd been staring at the same page for what felt like hours, the words on shifter lore blurring as Darius's call replayed in an endless loop.
"Elias knows. He has known for a long time." His mocking laugh echoed, twisting the knife deeper. My hands trembled, the book slipping from my lap as I buried my face in them.
Gods, what a colossal mistake I'd made. Listening to Dad, running from Elias at the start, letting Darius's coercion pull me into this web of lies. I'd been blind, loyal to a father who'd betrayed everything, killing Elias's parents for power.
And Elias... if Darius was right, he'd known all along. Why did he preten
