#Chapter 217 – Wreckage of a Lie

Lila By the time I reached the cottage, my hands were numb from the cold, my thoughts worse. I told myself to breathe, to think of anything but the bond humming under my skin. But the closer I got, the louder it became. Damon’s heartbeat, strong now, thrummed with mine like a second pulse. I tried to drown it out. I failed. When I pushed open the door, warmth met me first, then the herbal scent of Thalia’s teas and woodsmoke from the fire. Then laughter. Small, bright, impossibly beautiful laughter. Auren and Lucien sat cross-legged on the floor, a pile of colored blocks between them. Damon was nearby, wrapped in a warm blanket, his posture that of a male who didn’t quite trust his own body yet. His mouth wasn’t smiling, but his eyes were soft in a way I’d never seen before. Lucien handed him a block. “For you.” Damon accepted it like it was a precious gem. “I thank you.” His voice was rough, quiet. Auren giggled and climbed to her feet, reaching toward him. Her