(LANCE )
The penthouse was wrapped in the soft hush of early evening, the city lights beginning to sparkle far below like scattered diamonds. I stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, the ankle monitor a constant, quiet weight against my skin, its soft chime marking another measured step within my permitted boundaries. The air carried the comforting scents of dinner being prepared — garlic, herbs, and fresh bread — mixed with the faint floral trace of Eliona’s tea as she moved quietly behind me.
She slipped her arms around my waist, resting her cheek against my back. The warmth of her body cut through the cool glass, grounding me in the middle of the new reality we were learning to navigate.
“Jax just confirmed it,” she said softly. “The Shadow Reapers sent a message through a mutual con
