Lucien dragged Leia to the door. Without a hint of softness, he pushed her out and growled, "Leave at once if you don't want to end up in my bed tonight."
His knuckles had gone pale from how tightly his fists were clenched, and his voice was laced with warning. It seemed like he was dangerously close to losing control.
Leia didn't look back and ran back to her room.
The hallway felt longer than ever as she bolted into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Her fingers fumbled to twist the lock in place before allowing herself to breathe.
Leaning against the door, she whispered to herself, "What just happened…? Did he actually let me go?"
Her voice trembled, disbelief clouding her thoughts. The image of Lucien's bloodied hands, the sharp flash of his canines, and the guttural growl all replayed in her mind.
"I thought he wasn't coming home tonight…" she muttered, trying to calm her racing heart.
