The Compound quieted as evening settled over the forest. The halls dimmed, the generators hummed softly, and the Serpents drifted into their nightly routines — training, patrolling, planning.
But Lucien didn’t join them.
He stayed with me.
He walked me back to his quarters, his hand warm around mine, his thumb brushing my knuckles in a slow, absent rhythm. Not possessive. Not controlling.
Comforting.
Claiming.
He opened the door and let me step inside first. The fire in the stone hearth glowed low, casting warm light across the dark wood floors. The room felt different tonight — heavier, quieter, charged with something unspoken.
Lucien shut the door behind us.
He didn’t speak.
He didn’t move.
He just stood there, staring at the floor like he was gathering courage.
I stepped clos
