-Elara Voss:
The night air felt heavier than usual as we walked toward Ronan's family home. The moon hung low, casting faint silver light across the fields. I glanced over at Ronan—he was tense, shoulders rigid, lips pressed into a thin line. Even in the dim glow, I could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
Lucien had stayed behind, just as he'd done the first time. Ronan and I had tried to convince him otherwise, but he insisted it was better this way. "I don't want to overwhelm them," he'd said, his voice soft, "and I know how complicated it is. This is Ronan's moment. Let him have it first."
So it was just the two of us, making our way up the familiar path. I could see the small house in the distance, the windows dark, the faint outline of a lantern flickering on the porch. My heart pounded for Ronan's sake—what if they rejected him? What if they couldn't accept that he was now a vampire?
But I pushed those thoughts aside. He needed me to be strong.
