Lucian POV
By the time dawn came, the snow had stopped falling.
The world outside glowed a pale gold, a fragile light that could make even ruin look holy. Lucian stood on the palace balcony, hands braced against the stone rail, eyes fixed on the horizon.
He’d been awake all night, searching through the mate bond, tracing every flicker of warmth, every echo that wasn’t pain. And somewhere in the quiet hours before sunrise, it happened.
A pulse.
Not of fear.
Not of grief.
But something else—something soft, bright, and alive.
It spread through the link like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, wrapping around him before he could even catch his breath: warmth, laughter, the sound of a woman humming softly by a fire.
Talia.
He could feel her. Not in words, not even in thoughts—but
