Chapter : Truth in the Blood

Gabriel was asleep, but this time it wasn’t the cold, empty stillness of before. It was soft. Peaceful. His fingers curled around mine, and every so often, he mumbled something incoherent, like his dreams were finally his own.

Lucien stood by the window, half in shadow. The weight in his stance had shifted—not gone, but quieter. Like he was finally breathing after holding it in for too long.

“I don’t understand how you did it,” he said softly.

I didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes on Gabriel’s face. “It wasn’t a battle. It was a rescue.”

Lucien didn’t speak for a moment....