Behind all that iron and instinct, something raw pulsed inside Lyander. Not just suspicion or anger. Pain. Deep pain.
Whatever he was hiding behind those amber eyes wasn't just trauma—it was armor. And someone had once made him believe he needed it to survive.
Liora sighed and looked down at her hands. She wanted to know what had happened to him—to strip back the walls he'd built and see what was really underneath. But there wasn't time. Not yet.
She had a mission. One that couldn't wait for wounded hearts to heal.
Rhett was coming.
And when he did, Henry might die.
She turned back to the pup, now watching her curiously, and forced a smile. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat."
=== 🖤 ===
