Chapter 134

• Riley’s POV
• I wasn’t fully awake when Lucien helped me to my feet. My limbs still ached, bruises nestled deep in my muscles like ghosts refusing to fade. His low voice—“Sleep”—still echoed in my mind, soft as mist, heavy as a command. I remembered the way his fingers lingered on my temple, the weight of the blanket he’d wrapped around me. In those moments, I felt less like prey, more like something sacred.
• But the moment we stood outside the banquet hall, and the heavy double doors opened again, the spell shattered.