TAVRIC
Jaxl looks like I've just told him the sun is going to drop from the sky.
His jaw doesn't just hang; it freezes. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, are wide, reflecting a mix of horror and profound disbelief. He actually stumbles back a step, his hand reaching out to grip the doorframe as if the very floor has become unstable.
"You are joking," Jaxl breathes out, shaking his head slowly, his voice a ragged shadow of its usual self. "You just gotta be joking, Tavric. Tell me this is a sick play."
I exhale weakly, the weight of the admission settling into my bones. I turn away from his searching gaze, unable to face the mirror of my own anxieties. "I'm not. Ryker has claimed her."
I hear the jagged intake of his breath. For a heartbeat, I shut my eyes, feeling a cold trickle of worry cascade down my spine.
