Chapter 103 Guests And Gifts

• Demitri POV
• The silence hangs heavy between us as I tell everyone to hold off on calls, only message if necessary. The word’s out now, spreading like wildfire through our circles—Alissia is mine. Ours. It’s no longer a secret that she’s someone precious, someone worth more than just a job, a title, a place in the underworld. Everyone’s questioning what it means, how it works for the three of us, how this connection might change things. But in reality, it changes very little. We’ll keep working, carrying on as we always have. Alissia will be with us, yes, and we’ll make adjustments to protect her, but that’s it.
• But as much as I try to focus on the practicalities, a feeling of doubt needles its way into my mind. Her being with us comes with its own risks, risks she shouldn’t have to bear. I can’t ignore that a huge part of her injuries stem from decisions I made, decisions to keep her close, decisions that meant she was marked as ours. Letting her go alone, even to a place as seemingly safe as Rocco’s restaurant, was a mistake.