Brave Eaglet

Naomi could not believe what she had just heard.

Did Zylan Reed just say that?

Her heart pounded as they locked eyes, the weight of his words hanging in the air. She couldn't deny the fear and struggle she saw reflected in his gaze, like a storm raging just beneath the surface. It was a side of him she rarely saw—vulnerable, uncertain, and almost… lost.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined Zylan saying such a thing.

To Zylan's surprise, Naomi's voice broke through the silence with unwavering certainty.

"You won't. I know you won't," she said, her voice firm yet tender. "No matter what happens, you'd never do such a thing to me, honey."

Her words were a lifeline, an anchor pulling him back from the edge of the abyss he teetered on. The conviction in her tone made his chest tighten. She could see the conflict in his eyes, the way his emotions warred within him, raw and unguarded.