Lyra's POV
The weight of everything that had transpired settled heavily on my shoulders as the meeting wound down. My fated mates had their own responsibilities to handle now that the truth was out. Alaric remained behind, his commanding presence filling the room as he huddled with Vivienne and the General over tactical plans. Their voices carried the urgency of warriors preparing for battle.
Xander had vanished the moment attention shifted away from him. I caught a glimpse of his retreating figure slipping through the doorway when Ash and I were focused elsewhere. The bombardment of revelations today had clearly overwhelmed him. I understood his need to process everything alone.
