Aftermath
Freya's POV
The quiet that followed our shared moment felt heavier than the tension before it. The walls of Lucian's study, so lined with books and shadowed corners, now seemed like the only safe haven in the world. My body was still as I lay against him, but my mind refused to find peace.
It was as though the intimacy had stripped away all my defenses, leaving me bare, not just in body, but in soul. I closed my eyes, listening to the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek.
“Lucian,” I whispered, hesitant.
His fingers, which had been tracing lazy circles on my back, stilled. “Yes?”
“I’m scared.” My voice cracked, but I forced myself to continue. “Scared that I’ll fail. That everything I’ve done... everything I’ve fought for... will be for nothing.”
His hand m
