The Serpent in Silverclaw

JULIAN

I hadn't slept in two days.

The press conference replayed in my mind like a bad movie on repeat. Her hand in mine, the cameras flashing, the carefully rehearsed smiles we wore like masks. The lies that flowed so smoothly from our lips about unity and strength and the future of our Alliance.

I rubbed my eyes, feeling the grit of exhaustion beneath my lids. The clock on my office wall read 3:17 AM. Another sleepless night.

Was any of it real? The way she looked at me during the conference, the slight squeeze of her hand when the questions got tough, the brush of her shoulder against mine as we exited the stage—where did the performance end and reality begin?

I couldn't tell anymore, and that terrified me.

A knock on my office door yanked me from my thoughts.

"Enter," I called, voice rougher than I intended.

Marcus stepped in, my loyal Beta looking nearly as exhausted as I felt. The folder in his hand made my stomach twist.