“Ivy’s POv”
Leon had changed.
Not in a big way. But in a way that I could feel—everywhere.
After what happened in the stables, something shifted between us. He held my hand when others were around. He stood close. He looked at me like he wanted everyone to know I was his. For the first time, we walked through the halls together like a real couple.
But still, something felt… off.
Maybe it was the way people stared. Maybe it was the whispers. Or maybe it was just him. Leon was trying to act calm, but I could see the tension in his jaw. I could feel it in the way he held my hand tighter than before.
“Don’t let go,” he whispered one morning as we walked past some elders. “They should get used to this.”
I looked at him. “You mean us?”
“Yes,” he said simply.
I nodded. But inside, I was
