Malrik’s POV

"Maybe it wasn't her mate," Vladan suggested, voice level and calm. "Could've been a parent. A guardian. Someone else entirely."

He was trying to divert my obsession with Dravina’s mate, tossing out alternatives to soften my fixation. But I wasn’t biting. Instincts like mine weren’t so easily swayed.

"Her back is lined with silver whip scars," I said, voice quiet but hard. "He was smart too damn smart. Made sure not to damage anything people could see."

That was all ...