The knock came just as I was starting to believe I’d finally fallen asleep.
Three soft raps against the door, too polite to be Lucian, too eager to be the butler.
My head felt heavy. I’d spent the whole night replaying everything—the transformation, the raw power in his eyes, the way he stopped when he saw me. I didn’t know what unsettled me more: the monstrous part of him I’d witnessed… or the human part that held himself back.
Another knock, a bit louder this time.
“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” I muttered, dragging myself out of bed. My voice was raspy, my hair a wild tangle that probably screamed hostage chic.
When I opened the door, two faces I’d never seen before greeted me, one male, one female, both smiling like sunshine was a personality trait.
“Hi!” the girl chirped. “You must b
