~ Lucian’s POV

I told Bella I had a meeting. It was an easy excuse, something she wouldn’t question. But in reality, I just needed to get out, to clear my head, to escape the weight that had been building inside me since this morning. She didn’t need to see this side of me, the one that comes out when the darkness takes over. She had already seen enough at the training ground today, her shocked face still fresh in my mind.

That moment when she saw me fight, saw the real power I hold… it ...