POV: Siena Blake

The living room had finally gone quiet. The noise, the tension, and the chaos from earlier had faded into the background. Roman had stopped crying, though the redness on his face was still there. His cheeks were blotchy and warm, and his small eyes looked tired. He was breathing heavily through his nose, tiny sniffles escaping now and then. His little fingers were still tightly holding onto Lucian’s shirt, as if letting go meant the world might fall apart again.

Lucian didn’t rush him. He sat there on the couch, his arms wrapped gently around Roman, rubbing his back in slow circles. His lips were close to...