Lucian had moved out of their suite just as he promised, relocating to another wing with his generals. The absence was stark.
When she reached for him through the bond, she felt only distance. The pack connection was still there, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat, but Lucian kept himself guarded. It was deliberate. Calculated.
Amalia’s voice snapped her out of her drifting thoughts. “Talia! Focus!”
Talia realized she’d been staring at the projected marshlands for far too long. The council chamber dissolved around her for a moment, replaced by the memory of their first night together.
Amalia’s braid, streaked with gray, hung over her shoulder. They had training earlier in the day, and Amalia frequently had to pull Talia back to focus.
“You’re thinking too loudly,” Amalia had said. “S
