Emerald returned to her room, the door clicking softly shut behind her. She leaned against it for a beat, closing her eyes. The adrenaline had worn off, but her mind buzzed, far from rest.
She wasn't sure what surprised her more: that Lucien had finally told the truth, or that she'd agreed to stay.
That decision hadn't come from some grand forgiveness. She hadn't forgotten everything Lucien had done, hadn't erased the fear in the people's eyes or the weight of his silence.
But something about his story… his guilt, his exhaustion, the quiet desperation behind his gaze… pulled at her.
She understood what it meant to carry the burden of others' expectations, to be hated by the very people you tried to save.
Still.
That didn't mean she trusted him.
Whoever had tried to kill him tonight was still out there, hiding in the shadows of his pack, maybe even in his own council. And they wouldn't stop just because she'd screamed in time.
