Hailee's POV
"Nathan…" The name left my lips as a whisper, trembling, breaking. My heart slammed so hard against my chest I thought it might tear itself free. Ten years. Ten long, cruel years. And now—here he was.
For a moment, the crowd, the lights, the vampires—all of it vanished. There was only him. His tall frame cutting through the shadows, his aura so strong it pressed against my skin. His eyes—gods, those eyes—locked on mine and refused to let go.
Tears welled and spilled before I could stop them. My lips trembled, parting as if to speak again, but no sound came. My body shook, my hands tightening around the boys as if they were the only anchor keeping me from collapsing.
He was real. Not a dream. Not a memory. Not a ghost haunting me.
