Lucas's POV
I let out a soft scoff, the sound slipping out before I could catch it. I had heard her clearly — far more clearly than I intended to.
"So typical of women," I muttered, my voice low and edged with sharp disdain, "to run the moment things become difficult. Utterly useless creatures. They only bring us trouble."
Seraphina shifted weakly on the bed, her face pale and glistening with sweat, her breathing shallow and labored. Her voice came out in a strained whisper, barely audible over the pounding in my own ears.
"Did you hear what I said, Lucas?"
I gently lifted my hand to her forehead, feeling the unnatural heat radiating from her skin. My thumb brushed across her damp temple for a brief moment, a gesture that felt hollow even to me.
