Aiden's pov
A smirk pull at my lips. Across from me, Ragnar shifted. He looked tight, I could practically smell the guilt rolling off him—the bitter, sharp scent of a man who knew he was betraying Lucian just by breathing the air in this room.
"Why now, Aiden?" His voice was rougher than I remembered, lacking its old steady edge. "You scarred me,Why bring me here?"
I didn't answer right away. I let the silence stretch, watching the way his pulse jumped in the hollow of his throat. It was pathetic how transparent he was. "You don't have to pretend, Ragnar," I said, keeping my voice low, a perfectly tailored bait. "No one is watching us. You're safe here."
He didn't relax. If anything, the tension in his spine hardened.
