Elara could not believe what she was hearing. No—this couldn't be true. That man had saved her life, he had been her savior… he could not be like this! Her chest tightened painfully as the words left Lucian's lips, her mind spinning with disbelief and nausea.
"Are you afraid, Elara? Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Lucian drawled, his voice dripping with mockery as he leaned closer. His hand rose with infuriating familiarity, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear as though she were his cherished lover.
Elara's entire body stiffened at his touch, her skin crawling.
"Don't be afraid," he whispered in a falsely soothing tone, his gaze steady and intense. To anyone else, it might have sounded reassuring, but to Elara it was poison.
His words made her stomach churn violently with disgust. Every fiber of her being screamed that he wasn't here to protect her. He was baiting her, waiting for her to fall into the snare he had carefully laid.
