Lorien POV

The clock on the fourth bedroom wall read one in the morning. Only one. There were hours left before dawn and before Auren returned.

Our arrangement might have been a calculated move for him, a piece on a board but for me it had teeth and weight. Tonight I needed him in a way that logic couldn’t soothe. I needed his hand on my cheek, his mouth on my forehead, his low voice telling me that he was all right and that everything would be alright.

“Clear,” Riven breathed, holding ...