LUCIEN’S POV

The palace halls were dead quiet as I dragged my ass back to our room, the weight of the day clinging to me like a second skin.

It was late—way past midnight—and the moon hung high outside the windows, casting silvery shadows that did nothing to ease the knot in my gut. My muscles ached from the endless hours I'd buried myself in work: reviewing patrol reports, drilling the night guard, anything to keep my mind from spiraling into the shitstorm that had exploded on the training ground.

After finally prying Andrea off my leg and sending him back with Naomi—promising him I'd see him soon, just to...