Chapter 50. Control

Ally's POV

The air is heavy with the scent of rain-soaked earth as I watch Nathan approach, his strides purposeful and oddly familiar. Dawn stirs within me, her unease a flutter against my ribcage. There's a shift in the atmosphere, something intangible yet as piercing as the cool air that heralds an oncoming storm.

"Ally," Nathan says, his voice carrying a different timbre, one that crawls under my skin and echoes through the hollow spaces Elliot once filled. He stops before me, the subtle narrowing of his eyes not escaping my notice.

"Is everything alright?" My question comes out more hesitant than intended, betraying the anxiety that knots inside me.

"Perfectly." The word is a shard of ice, and his smile doesn't reach his eyes. It's a practised expression, one that chills rather than comforts. This isn't the Nathan who'd welcomed me into the Luparian Kingdom with warmth and promises of protection.