Later that afternoon, Ava and Lucien were walking down a narrow city street, discussing her latest memory fragments, when a shadow detached itself from an alley.
Before Ava could react, a hand grabbed her arm. Her body reacted instinctively, adrenaline flooding through her veins. Lucien was there in an instant, his hands on the attacker, twisting the man's arm behind his back.
Ava's heart pounded violently. The world seemed to move in slow motion—Lucien's movements fluid, precise, lethal.
"Run!" he barked, his eyes never leaving hers.
She obeyed, sprinting beside him as the man tried again to reach her. Lucien's presence beside her was overwhelming, the heat of his body so close it made her forget everything else for a moment.
The attacker went down, leaving them breathless in the alley.
"Are you okay?" Lucien asked, his voice low, almost intimate.
Ava nodded, her chest heaving. Her gaze met his. "Thanks… for saving me again."
Lucien's fingers brushed hers briefly. The contact, electric and unplanned, sent a thrill through her. "Always," he murmured, his eyes dark with something she couldn't name