{Ronan’s POV}

The air in the abandoned building pressed heavy on my lungs, like dust thickened with suspicion. For a split second, I thought the figure standing inside was Veyra. Broad shoulders, posture steady, presence sharp despite his age… But then the light shifted, and the lines of his face snapped into clarity.

Lucien.

Our eyes locked at the same time, and every nerve in my body surged like flame.

“You,” I growled. “Of course… I should have known.” By the time I uttered those words. I was already ready for violence.

Lucien’s lips curled into that smug grin he always wore when he had something smart to say. “Careful,...