_Anya’s POV_
The rest of the day passed in a strange blur.
After everything that had happened, my body still felt tired and my mind felt heavy but there was also something else growing quietly inside me.
I felt relieved that I was safe.
Leon had come but he had not taken me.
Jacob had protected me.
That thought stayed with me as I sat quietly in my room, staring out of the window while the sky slowly turned darker. The golden light faded and the night settled over the mansion like a soft blanket.
Maya’s voice was calm now. You are thinking about him.
“Yes,” I admitted.
He had held me so tightly. His voice had been so firm when he said he would protect me. No one had ever done that for me before.
A soft knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Come in,” I said.
A maid st
