70. Torn Heart-I

|| Alaric’s POV || Having Lilac here, in the packhouse, felt like a dream I never wanted to wake up from. For so long, I had imagined this moment— her by my side, standing in the heart of my territory, safe, mine. But nothing could have prepared me for the way it actually felt. The way her wide, curious eyes took in every detail of the grand halls, as if she were seeing something out of a fairy tale. The way her scent wrapped around me, grounding me in a way I hadn't even realized I needed. She was here. With me. And for the first time in what felt like forever, the tension in her shoulders had melted away. I had grown used to seeing her guarded, the weight of a past filled with betrayal pressing down on her like an unshakable burden. I had memorized the way her lips would tighten when she was deep in thought, the way shadows lingered in her gaze even when she smiled. But now… now, there was something different. Something lighter. Happiness. It shone in her eyes, soft and hesitant at f