Ronan swallowed hard. He knew Raven had been in love once. Knew that the loss still haunted him in ways his smile would never truly erase. But it wasn't the kind of thing he ever willingly brought up.

"He shouldn't have asked that of you. We're your friends. You're family to us. If he cared about you, he'd never ask that of you. And the others? You've not talked to Lucien either? He's isolating you, Ronan. He's pushing all your friends out of the picture. He's making it so he's all you have, and that is so untrue, babes." Plucking up the jacket that had fallen, Raven folded it neatly,...