I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over my chest, watching Seraphina and Lyra deep in conversation on the patio. My mate looked exhausted but radiant, her rose-gold hair catching the afternoon sunlight as she gestured animatedly, clearly trying to reassure her sister.
Lyra, on the other hand, looked tense. Her shoulders were rigid, her posture stiff as she kept glancing toward the woods where Ronan had disappeared earlier.
"She looks upset," I commented as my brother approached, coming to stand beside me.
Ronan followed my gaze, his expression darkening. "She's been like that for days."
"Because of the dedication ceremony?"
"I guess," he muttered, looking uncharacteristically unsettled. "Or maybe because I stopped calling her back."
That caught my attention. I turned to face him fully. "You what?"
