# Chapter 87 – Damien's POV
## The Protector's Confession
"Vanessa, wait." Damien's voice cut through the pre-dawn silence like a blade through silk. She paused at the edge of the training grounds, her silhouette trembling against the pale light seeping over the horizon. "We need to talk."
She didn't turn around. "There's nothing left to say, Damien. The war council starts in two hours. We should be preparing, not—"
"Not what? Not being honest about what's between us?" He stepped closer, his boots crunching against the frost-covered earth. "Not acknowledging that in three days, we might all be dead?"
