Stephan’s POV
The second day was the hardest.
I pretended not to notice the way she paced her room, the way her footsteps scraped over the wooden floors like restless prayers. I pretended not to hear the way her breathing faltered whenever the hinges groaned, like she was hoping — always hoping — that the sound was him.
Lucian.
The name itself was a stone in my chest, a bitter taste on my tongue. She waited for him with eyes full of stubborn belief, as if he could cross mountains, tear through my lands, and snatch her away from me like some fairy tale knight.
But knights don’t come for girls like her.
And even if they did, I would rip them apart before they reached the gates.
The bond knew she was waiting. It tugged at me constantly, restless, angry, clawing at my insides like a bea
