Lily’s pov

I sat on the edge of Lucian’s bed, still a little uneasy.

My pulse still thudded hard in my throat as I stood in the quiet of Lucian’s living room, the earlier tension with his mother still clinging to the air like smoke. I looked up at him, voice soft and edged with doubt.

“Are you sure your mom really accepted us dating? The way she looks at me… it feels really weird. Like she’s measuring me. Like she’s waiting for me to do something wrong.”

Lucian’s hands came up to frame my face, thumbs brushing the line of my jaw. His eyes were dark, steady, almost fierce....