Valtira.
I had remained in my room the entire day.
My body felt weak, my head heavy, my thoughts slow as though wading through thick mud. I had neither the strength nor the will to face a single soul—not after the humiliation, not after the way my entire world had been dragged into the earth like something unworthy of breath.
I lay there on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, letting my thoughts circle themselves into knots.
Then—
The door burst open.
Not knocked.
Not pushed.
Burst.
Like the man who stood there owned the very air I inhaled.
Zarek stormed inside with a force that made my heart jolt painfully. His scent hit me before his voice did—sharp, cold, angry—and his expression carved the air apart.
For a moment, I didn’t even understand.
My heart stumbled.
My breat
