I attared at him in the quiet aftermath of battle, the forest still smoldering, our breaths misting in the cold air. The beast lay at our feet—defeated. But the real fight was just beginning.
Lucas's voice came low and taut. "I did it to save someone."
I blinked, heart pounding. Save someone? "You…" I shook my head. "You put the entire kingdom—and me—at the mercy of a liar just to save someone?"
His hand tightened on the sword hilt, knuckles white. "She is everything to me."
I didn't know why those words hurt so much. Why the earth seemed to tumble under my feet. Why I suddenly felt smaller than I ever had before.
I said a simple, broken, "Okay."
He looked away, raw anguish flickering in his eyes. The distance between us felt like miles—though we stood only heartbeats apart. Silence spread between us, thick and suffocating.
After a while, I finally spoke again, voice soft but unsteady. "So—why pretend to not know me?"
Lucas's breath hitched. He swallowed. "To protect you."
