••{EROS'S POV}••
The forest swallows the sound of the camp the deeper I ride into it.
The laughter, the voices, the crackling of the fires—all of it disappears until there's nothing left but the steady rhythm of my horse's hooves against earth and the quiet rustle of leaves shifting in the wind.
I loosen my grip on the reins, letting my horse fall into a slower pace as we move between the trees.
The air is cooler here, carrying the scent of damp soil and pine. Shadows stretch long across the ground as the last light of evening dies behind the canopy above.
For a while it's quiet… until the sound of Aricel's voice creeps back into my head.
"If you won't stop acting like a fucking cunt, little brother, then the cock between your legs might as well be useless to you."
"Love is a story men tell women so they'll open their legs willingly."
I grind my teeth, my grip on the reins tightening again.
I despise men like Aricel—men who use love as a tool to satisfy their lust.
