Draven's POV
The hurt on Allene’s face did not fade when she turned away from me.
It followed me throughout for the rest of the day.
It clung to my thoughts like a shadow that refuses to be outrun, stretching longer with every passing hour of the day. I see it in the way the firelight flickers against stone walls, in the way my claws scrape too hard against wood when I lose focus, in the silence that settles too heavily in rooms meant for command and order.
I denied her.
Not because she was wrong, but because she was right.
That truth sits like a splinter beneath my skin.
Keeping her close is dangerous. Keeping her visible is worse. Leonard’s reach is long, and his patience even longer. He would burn kingdoms to reclaim what he believes is his, and Allene, whether she wants it or no
