Cyrus's chair scraped back against the floor. The sound alone made Isabella's head turn—but it was the way he rose, calm and deliberate, that had Zyran's attention. Not bad.
Most men would've hesitated, maybe thrown some awkward excuse about "not wanting to get involved" or "not wanting to start trouble"
But Cyrus? He didn't flinch. He stood like someone who'd made up his mind the moment Isabella spoke, like there was no question about whether he would follow through.
Zyran's grin tilted slightly. Interesting.
He was starting to realize something—dealing with Cyrus and Kian wasn't going to be the easy, predictable game he'd assumed. Neither of them seemed even remotely intimidated by him. Not in the way most beastmen were when faced with someone of his… capabilities.
