LUCIAN'S P.O.V.
I led Teresa out of the clearing, each step heavier than the last. The quietness of the clearing faded behind us, replaced by the chaotic hum of the party. Music thumped like a second heartbeat, and the swell of voices made my heightened senses tangle into an incomprehensible mess.
I could feel Teresa's anger radiating off her like a furnace. She walked ahead of me, her steps clipped and deliberate, her silence sharp enough to cut through the thick air. I couldn't even bring myself to speak; the words I'd said earlier had already dug a grave I wasn't sure I could climb out of. She deserved better than the mess I'd made of everything.
Ares grumbled in my head. "You're handling this so well, Lucian. Truly. I don't think I've seen a man grovel this efficiently since medieval times."
"Shut it, Ares," I snapped back internally.
