Chapter 225

Freya's POV Sleep evaded me all night. I kept replaying our encounter in the bathroom doorway, the raw hunger in his eyes contradicting months of cold distance. More confusing was that brief flash of pain I'd caught when he touched me. What was he hiding? As dawn's first light crept through our curtains, I abandoned any hope of sleep and slipped quietly from the bed. Silvano remained motionless, but I knew better—his breathing had changed the moment I moved. He was awake, yet choosing to maintain our charade of disconnection. He's ours, Selene growled insistently within me. The Alpha. Our mate. Selene had been increasingly agitated lately, pushing me toward Silvano despite all evidence suggesting he'd gotten over whatever we once had. I closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to even out, pretending I'd drifted back to sleep. I heard soft movement nearby—he seemed close, his breath warming my face. Then nothing. When I opened my eyes again, the bedroom was empty. Obviously he was delibera