Chapter Twenty Four

The cabin's shadows swallowed Lucia as Aiden and Declan carried her inside, the flickering firelight casting an ethereal glow upon her battered body. Her laboured breaths echoed through the rustic space, a symphony of pain and vulnerability.

"Fetch the doctor, quickly," Aiden commanded, his deep voice laced with barely restrained urgency. Declan nodded and disappeared, leaving Lucia alone with Aiden.

Aiden's calloused fingers traced the jagged cuts marring Lucia's porcelain skin, a feral protectiveness igniting in his chest. "You're safe now, little Luna," he murmured, his touch feather-light as he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.

The doctor arrived moments later, his brow furrowed with concern as he examined Lucia's wounds. "She'll mend with rest and care." He handed Aiden a bottle of tablets. "Give her one of these if the pain becomes too much."

Aiden nodded, his jaw set with determination. As the doctor departed, Declan reappeared, his expression etched with worry. "H