[Ace's POV]
I held Ovelia as she slept, her weight a perfect, trusted burden against my chest. Her whispered confession—"I love you..."—still echoed in the silent spaces of my mind, a fragile, radiant ember in the gloom of the evening's horrors. A fierce, possessive joy surged through me, so potent it made my blood hum. My wolf, Fenrir, stirred with a satisfied, rumbling purr deep within, his primal instinct to claim her, to make the bond absolute, rising to a near-overwhelming crescendo. I closed my eyes for a long moment, focusing on the steady rhythm of her breathing against me, using it as an anchor to leash the wild impulse. Not now. Not here. Not with an audience.
I heard Ray exhale a long, slow sigh. I opened my eyes to find him watching me, his orange gaze thoughtful. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
"She just confessed," he stated, his voice quiet, devoid of judgment.
I met his look. "I heard."
