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.