|| Alaric's POV ||

The moment Lilac's knees buckled, I was there. My arms wrapped around her before she could even begin to fall, pulling her limp body tight against my chest. Her head lolled against my shoulder, her breathing shallow but steady.

"Dove?" I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. No response.

The door burst open, and Mira, Lilac’s personal maid, rushed in, her eyes wide with panic. "Alpha! Is Luna—?"

"She fainted," I said, cutting her ...