Lucian
I woke to the soft rustle of pages.
Mara was sitting beside me, her legs tucked under her, reading like the world outside didn’t exist. She looked so calm, so completely at home.
I sat up slowly, blinking the sleep from my eyes. Then I saw it—the mark on her neck. My mark. It wasn’t a dream.
A quiet smile pulled at my lips.
“Good afternoon, Lucian,” she said, her voice warm as she lowered the book and met my gaze.
I looked around. The light had shifted. I’d clearly slept longer than I meant to.
“You slept through the night… and into the afternoon,” she said gently. “Your father linked me a few times. I told him I’d let him know when you were awake.”
I frowned. “Did he say why?”
She shook her head.
I reached for her, pulling her close, pressing a kiss to her lips, then anot
