|| Lilac’s POV ||

I gently laid Aurora down in her crib, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead. She cooed sleepily, her tiny fingers curling around mine before releasing me. The warmth of her innocence always soothed me-but nothing compared to the heat that flared through me the moment Alaric's arms slid around my waist from behind.

His lips found the curve of my neck, slow and deliberate, sending a shiver down my spine.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my breath ...