Evander's POV
Alaric stared at me, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might c***k.
I approached him slowly, reached out and took the broken glass from his bleeding hand. He let me, though his body remained tense.
After setting the shattered pieces aside, I grabbed a clean glass from the sideboard and poured fresh whiskey into it, the amber liquid sparkling in the firelight.
Then I placed the glass in his hand, gently wrapping his fingers around it.
"Drink," I whispered. "And just breathe."
For a long moment, he just stood there, his gaze shifting between the glass, me, and the empty space around us.
Then, slowly, he raised the glass to his lips and took a few sips.
I waited patiently and quietly.
Finally, he set the glass down and looked at me. His eyes were still hard, sti
