a's

lder bag had left a permanent crease across her side. The air inside the train had been a soup of breath, col

d blinked against the harsh streetlights. Trash skittered

later, she wa

March, and the stairwell smelled like rust and cheap air freshener. On the third floor, she juggle

rrr

I know," Ly

bowl, glaring up with full Omega guilt-trip eyes. Lyra set her

't feed you the sam

d circled her an

allowed herself exactly thirty seconds to lean against th

between the office an

o sweatpants and an oversized shirt-soft, loose, scent-neutral. She wiped her face clean. T

Annual Gala – Departme

lded the

rival Time:

Virelux Gr

ie (floor-length gowns recom

attendees subject t

Approved Scent-Su

t it down and stared at he

scan. Of

ken out in a cold sweat and left early under the excuse of a migraine. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to

ian.

ed his voice, because he didn't need to. His energy did all the work. Lyra had no illusions about his reputation. He didn't

omeone like that could destroy

d back to

to p

gown, f

ear (cl

ificati

ose before arrival,

old vial left from the l

uldn't

ppressant refills, scent-neutral spray, transport wipes, and pro

o lend a dress if you returned it clean and untorn. It was dark green, silky, with a n

re was only one th

, leaf-shaped, delicate scrollwork etched into the metal. One of the last things she'd inherited befor

else she wore belon

ear, and y

ch stuck to her wrist. When she finally drifted off, it was with the image of her own

-

t – Two D

ings piped in through unseen speakers. Lyra adjusted the neckline of the borrowed dress, s

self not to

e did

nd shadow, stood Cassian Dorne. He was alone. B

as watch

knew, her suppressants w

_

ian's

ning – G

hind his back, watching the room with the expression expected of h

rtment heads subtly angling for a private word before the evening ended. His as

oon to be fiance,

't broken. Her delay wasn't accidental. It was a statem

ss of champagne off a passing tray, and toss

t was the point. Celeste's family was old money. Her name bought silence. St

didn't

ed anything pe

s found her again.

of the socialites or department heads. S

. Just... stillness

ing seen. But the way she held herself, quiet, alert, apart

lingered

look

nd, their

le rippled ben

stinct, ir

try, or any of that primal nonsense

ined the rest of the cham

tay long. He had al

for the first time in years, Cassian Dorne co