-Ronan Hale:
I was still pinned against the wall, Lucien's grip on my shoulders unrelenting. My chest rose and fell in ragged gasps, the taste of his blood lingering on my tongue—a bitter reminder of what I had just done.
My entire body trembled, not just from rage, but from the raw surge of power still coursing through my veins. I wanted to fight him off, to throw him away, to escape. But the moment I locked eyes with him, I froze.
His gaze was fierce, glowing with that eerie vampiric light, but beneath the anger, I caught a flicker of something else—fear. Fear for me. Fear for everyone.
He pressed his forehead against mine, and I felt his breath, warm and unsteady. My teeth were still bared, fangs stained with his blood. Part of me wanted to shove him, to lash out again. The other part—some buried shred of sanity—told me to stop.
His voice, low and pained, broke the tense silence.
