Chapter 25 – The Edge of Us
The screams stopped. Not because Zevian broke. But because Zarek walked out before he could. Blood smeared his gloves. His shirt clung to his body, soaked in crimson and sweat. The hallways smelled of iron and gasoline, like a battlefield disguised as a home. Lucien sat on the bed, waiting. The silence between them was so heavy it felt like a third presence in the room. When the door opened, Zarek stepped in—and for a moment, Lucien didn’t recognize him. Not the man who kissed him like a prayer. This was something else. Something feral. Zarek closed the door. He didn’t speak. Just pulled off his gloves, one finger at a time, slow, deliberate, like peeling off a second skin. Lucien stood. “Zarek—” Zarek’s gaze locked on him, dark and wild. “Don’t say my name right now.” Lucien’s
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