She went to his bed and woke him up
“Rayne,” he said gently. “What's the problem?”
She said nothing.
Lucian sat up on his bed beside her, his fingers brushing against her clenched hands. “Rayne… talk to me. What’s going on?”
She hesitated again.
This wasn’t just her secret anymore—it was dangerous knowledge. Sharing it could put him in trouble too. If the Council found out he knew all along…
But she couldn’t carry the weight alone. Not anymore.
Rayne inhaled shakily and nodded.
“I have to tell you something. It’s bad. And it’s about Xavier.”
Lucian’s eyes hardened immediately. “What did he do?”
Rayne looked at him, wide-eyed, and began.
“He cornered me yesterday. He—he called me by my real name. Rayne. Not Rei. He knows I’m not a boy.”
Lucian’s jaw tightened. Fury crept into ev
