Selene’s POV

Maria’s presence was like a storm cloud rolling into the room, heavy and charged with tension. Her deep burgundy curls framed her face, accentuating the intensity in her eyes, which were fixed squarely on me. She approached, her movements slow, deliberate, predatory.

She stopped just inches from me. Her posture was rigid, and her gaze cold and unyielding. “So you’re the new toy Lucian’s been playing with,” she continued, her ...