Aiden’s POV

I was back at Elira’s mansion, but I felt utterly locked out.

The intense, co-dependent energy that fueled our time together—the savage, reckless intimacy—had vanished.

Since we managed to save Sierra, Elira had been glued to the little nurse's side, treating her injuries and comforting her.

She gave me the cold shoulder, acting as if I were a ghost or, worse, an especially functional piece of furniture—necessary for security, but ultimately irrelevant to her emotional or strategic core.

Although I kept telling myself I didn't care about the personal snub, I hated to accept the feeling that I meant nothing to her, especially with Dante’s clock ticking.

My...