Lyra's POV
I leaned back in the chair, still feeling the remnants of the wine swirling in my head. It was a heady, dizzying warmth that wrapped around me, making everything feel a little out of focus. My laughter from earlier still lingered in the air, faint echoes of madness. I hadn’t even realized how much tension had been building in me until it all cracked open, spilling out in bursts of hysterical amusement.
But now, I was alone with my thoughts again. Alone with the consequences of everything that had happened. The rogues, Vincenzo's confession, and then… Marcello.
Marcello.
The name tasted bitter on my tongue. The man who had looked at me like I was nothing more than a piece of prey. He had wanted nothing to do with me, and now… Now he wants to be my mate?
I exhaled sharply, th
