Julian did not speak immediately.
He had been watching Lucian for a while, long enough to recognize when something had shifted between them.
It was not obvious, not something anyone else would notice, but it was there in the way Lucian kept his distance without stepping away completely, in the way his attention stayed fixed without acting on it.
Julian understood what it was.
Avoidance.
He let the silence stretch before finally saying, "You've been keeping your distance."
Lucian looked up at him, calm as always. "That suggests you expected otherwise."
"I expected consistency," Julian replied. "Not this."
Lucian closed the book in front of him without looking away. "And what exactly is this."
"You tell me."
Lucian studied him for a moment, then said, "Nothing has changed."
Julian gave a quiet, humorless smile. "That's not true."
Lucian did not respond.
Julian took a step closer, his attention steady. "You haven't fed from me again since the last time."
