Chapter 15: Unspoken Tension

Lyra's POV

The party's remnants lay scattered across the living room like the wreckage of my life – empty cups, crumpled napkins, and the lingering scent of too many bodies in too small a space. I move mechanically, gathering trash and straightening furniture, desperate for any distraction from the storm raging inside me.

But even as I try to focus on the mundane task, I'm acutely aware of his presence. Xander is my mate, my sister's boyfriend, and the source of both my greatest joy and deepest pain.

He's across the room, helping my mother move a heavy bookshelf back into place. The muscles in his arms flex with the effort, and I find myself mesmerized by the play of light across his skin. As if sensing my gaze, he looks up, our eyes locking for a breathless moment.

The intensity in his hazel depths sends a jolt through me, like touching a live wire. I quickly averted my eyes, cheeks burning, but the damage was done—our mate bond hummed with renewed vigor, a constant, annoying reminder