A Step Closer

-Lucien Draven:

I watched from the tree line, hidden beneath the shadows, as Ronan said his goodbyes to his mother and grandfather. I had known this moment was coming, but I hadn't expected it to feel so… heavy.

His mother was crying, gripping onto him like she could keep him there by sheer will alone. His grandfather—stoic, hardened—held onto him in a way that spoke volumes, even without words. I had never seen Ronan look this vulnerable before, but right now, in the arms of his family, I saw it.

He wasn't just a vampire hunter.

He wasn't just a warrior.

He was a son. A grandson. A man leaving behind the only home he had ever known for the woman he loves to both protect her and leave his family out of this mess.

And I wasn't supposed to be here.

I wasn't supposed to be anywhere near his family.