73. The Nightshades

|| Alaric’s POV || I stepped out of the car, the cool night air doing little to calm the storm inside me. The packhouse loomed before me, its familiar silhouette offering no comfort. I walked inside, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the empty halls. My office was my sanctuary, the one place where I could shut out the world and focus. But even there, Lilac’s presence haunted me. I sat at my desk, the files in front of me blurring as my mind wandered. The memory of her in my arms, the way she had looked at me, the way she had kissed me— it all played on a loop in my mind. But then, the doubt crept in. The way she had pulled away, the way she had questioned our bond. It gnawed at me, a constant ache in my chest. A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I exhaled sharply, trying to rein in my emotions before calling out, “Come in.” The door creaked open, and Marcus stepped in, his usual smirk plastered on his face. His dark eyes gleamed with amusement, and I already knew I would