The Silverfang estate's living room felt suffocating, the plush velvet couches and crystal chandelier doing nothing to ease the knot twisting in my gut. My parents and Ronan stared at me, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity, the air thick with the scent of aged whiskey from Ronan's glass and my mother's lavender perfume. I'd burst in on their discussion about my potential mates, Vance, Derek, and gods, Cade Blackwood.
The name echoed in my head like a bad omen, conjuring that damn kiss in the bar's back room: his lips firm yet gentle, the spark that had made my heart skip despite everything. No. I shoved the memory down, forcing a casual shrug as I leaned against the doorframe, my blonde waves still tousled from the windy drive home.
"Blackwood? Yeah, I've heard of hi
