rritory, and the precarious balance he ha

this primal scream, full of panic and anger. She saw figures running across the clearing in front of the house. His fingers clenched the fabric of

rd glint in his eyes, when he left t

like a magnetic force she couldn't ignore. She quickly put on some cl

people. A scene of desolation met his eyes: bloodied men and women, some screaming in p

a woman, out of breath from

t her, as if she d

ed dryly, before turning away to

in his head. She didn't yet understand the full extent of Ethan's responsib

d saw a young man lying on the ground, a large gash running

cried, kneeli

r shirt and pressed firmly on the

, more for herself than

eyes, his troubled

breathed, before

replied, her hands

irst aid kit, came running

? he asked, surprised to see Al

replied, her tone harsh

was carried inside. The looks around her had changed. Some wer

thes, and a dark expression that made him look even more intimidating. He passed th

infirmary. She was hunched over a patient, applying a bandage with a

? he asked in a cold voic

d, surprised by th

ied, a glint of ch

, he insisted, his gaze har

ke a prisoner would have been better?

e, he seemed to see something other than a woman forced into an arranged marriage. She wasn't just a p

lly, cutting the conversation short befor

e of Alayna out of his mind. Something about her troubled him, a m

ght his attention. The attackers bore distinctive marks, symbols he recognized. They belon

tioned a name that made

tack, it meant that he was playing a much more dangerous double game than he had imagined. And

a. But when he found her dozing in an armchair, exhauste

Was it possible she didn't know any

laying out within him. The distrust he felt towards her c

n: this external threat