Alina’s POV
After they left, I finally lowered the gun, my hands trembling now that the immediate threat was gone. Ronan gently took it from me, engaging the safety and tucking it away.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
“I held a gun on someone,” I said, the reality hitting me. “I threatened to shoot her.”
“You protected yourself,” he corrected. “It's different princess."
“Is it?” I looked at him closely. “Because it didn’t feel different. It felt… easy. Natural. Like I’m becoming exactly what my father always feared.”
“You’re becoming what you need to be to survive,” Maddox said from the bed, his voice strained from the effort of staying conscious through all that. “That’s not the same as becoming him.”
“Isn’t it?” I moved back to his side, needing the anchor of his presence. “Where’s
