Chapter 22

Alistair’s POV

Rising from my seat, I strolled toward the wardrobe. Fingering the hidden keypad at the back, I tapped in the PIN I’d memorized. With a soft click, panels slid aside to reveal a secret bookshelf recessed into the wall. I had a hunch she didn’t know such a feature existed in her room, and the delight on her face when I returned with the first book confirmed it.

“The designer mentioned you love to read,” I said, settling onto the edge of the bed next to her. “So I thought, why not bring the library to you?” I opened the cover of the book in my hands. Fiction had never appealed to me—stories about worlds that didn’t exist, characters I’d never meet. But I was married to someone who adored these tales, and if she wanted bedtime stories, it was my responsibility to become her storyteller.

Lyra’s POV

When he reappeared clutching that book, I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about it. Reading bedtime stories—especially novels—wasn’t exactly