Elena's POV
The storm outside raged harder than expected. Power had been out for over an hour, and with it went the usual hum of technology, the modern distractions we leaned on more than we realized. But here, in the flickering candlelight Adrian had scattered throughout the penthouse, the silence wasn’t unnerving. It was deliberate. Heavy with tension. Heavy with us.
He stood by the window, the outline of his body carved in amber glow, shirt sleeves rolled to his forearms. I watched the rain snake down the glass behind him, then let my gaze fall to the way his chest rose and fell, slow, steady, measured.
When he turned, his eyes met mine. Calm, dark, but burning underneath. "Still no sign of the lights."
I shook my head from where I sat, cross-legged on the couch, one of his throws w
