(Damon)
I should never have come.
It was supposed to be harmless — a simple morale night for the staff, something I agreed to because Sera insisted it would “humanize me.” But as I stood here under the vine-covered arch, with the glass in my hand and firelight burning across the west garden, I felt anything but human.
I felt like a predator.
And the prey I couldn’t stop watching was sitting far too close to Mark.
Elara.
She laughed at something he said, the sound too light, too easy letting me know she wasn't faking it. Her shoulder brushed against his arm, and I saw the subtle way Mark leaned into it.…..like he’d been waiting for that opening. I knew men like him. Good enough to make people trust them. Harmless on the surface. But I also knew how quickly “harmless” could turn into “
