Alexander POV
The nights had grown too quiet.
Even the wind stopped knocking on the shutters.
Even the animals stopped coming near.
I told myself it was the weather, the season. The chill in the air.
But I knew better.
It was the stillness of predators. The kind that knew how to wait.
It was getting late, Eliana had already fallen asleep in the armchair opposite the fireplace, a book lying across her chest, her head bent gently to one side. I wanted to carry her into the room but as I stretched my hands. I couldn't. I didn’t have the guts.
She had finally started to feel safe.
After all the sleepless nights and flinching and the gulp of breaths watching empty shadows, this was the first time she looked at peace.
I couldn’t stand her to do that to me.
So, I moved quietly.
Clean
