The garden is quiet, the only sounds being the soft rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds.
The cool breeze tugs at my hair as I make my way toward the old oak tree, my legs moving on their own.
I need space. Air. A moment to think.
I'm no longer a staff, though I still have to pretend to be one until Caspian has told his parents about us.
However, I'm not expected to work for now because I'm still in recovery.
Everything is different now. My entire life has shifted in a way I never could have imagined.
I'm mated to Caspian, bound to him by something I still don't think I deserve, never saw coming. And then there's Theo—
My chest tightens as I sink down at the base of the oak tree, my fingers tracing the rough bark beside me.
Theo.
I spent so many afternoons talking to him, confiding in him, trusting him. I thought he was my friend. My cousin. My family.