You never thought you’d see him again.

Yet there he was, standing just outside the war room, his broad frame shadowed in the dim hallway. The meeting had ended, tension still thick in the air from the plans Aelin had laid out, but none of that mattered—not when Lorcan Salvaterre was here. Not when he was looking at you like he hadn’t been the one to leave.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The last time you had seen him, he had been yours—his touch familiar, his voice a quiet promise in the dark. And then, without a word, without even a damn goodbye, he had disappeared.

Now, after all this time, after all the nights spent wondering why—he was here. Close enough to touch, but still feeling like a ghost.

His jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides as if he was preparing for a fight. And maybe he should be.

And this time, if he wanted to run, you weren’t going to let him.