“I don’t trust him, Aria.” Damien’s voice was sharper than usual, cutting through the fragile silence between us.
I crossed my arms, staring him down. “You don’t get to dictate who I talk to, Damien.”
His eyes darkened. “It’s not about control. It’s about instincts. You know what I am—what we are. And everything in me is screaming that he’s a threat.”
The tension in the air was so thick it felt like the walls were closing in on us. We stood in the dimly lit war council chamber, the map of the territories still spread across the table from our last strategy meeting. I had hoped we could talk here, in private, without escalating things. But Damien was already standing on a precipice.
“He’s not a threat, Damien. He saved my life.”
His jaw tightened. “And you think that’s enough reason to
