Maximus's POV

The walk to my chambers felt longer than usual. My body still ached from the storm inside me, though I masked it as best I could. No one could see weakness—least of all her. Yet when I pushed the heavy doors open, there she was.

Emilia stood by the window, framed in the pale light of afternoon, her figure silhouetted against the glass. The wind tugged strands of her hair loose. She turned at the sound of the door, her brows furrowing the moment her eyes met mine.

“You look pale,” she said softly.

For a second, the beast inside me stirred again—not the violent one, but something...