Lucian's POV
I knew leaving Nadia tonight was cold. I'd seen the exhaustion etched into her pale face, the way she looked at me with a mix of gratitude and heartbreak. It twisted something inside me, but I needed the truth more than I needed to play the role of the doting mate.
I reached Abbie's private wing and slowed my pace. As I approached her door, which was slightly ajar, a voice drifted out. It wasn't the sweet, melodic tone she used with me. It was frantic, hushed, and biting.
“How can you fail it? No, stop explaining to me, you...”
I froze. Who was she talking to? And what had failed? The authority in her voice was jarring, completely at odds with the fragile girl recovering from a coma.
In my haste to lean closer, my phone slipped from my grip. It hit the floor with a sharp
