ADELE’S POV

“What are you talking about, Lucien? What happened?”

My voice came out shaky, the words tumbling over each other. I searched his face, desperate for some sign, some clue. His eyes—usually so steady, so full of that dark intensity—were red-rimmed, shining with tears he wouldn’t let fall. It scared me. Lucien didn’t do this. He didn’t break. He was the fearless beta.

He closed his eyes for a long moment, like he was gathering strength from somewhere deep inside. Then he stood up, slow and deliberate, and turned to the window. His back to me, shoulders tense under his shirt, hands braced on the sill as he stared...