Chapter 331

• I stepped back outside shortly after the conversation, my thoughts simmering, still churning over Carlo's mate situation. Emiliano had been right—completely and unequivocally. The bond between Carlo and Laura mattered, perhaps more than any of us had realized.
• Sofia and I were barely awake, exhaustion weighing heavily on our shoulders, when Chiara’s sharp shout startled us from the plush patio chairs that had been lulling us to sleep. We stumbled to our feet, bleary-eyed, nearly tripping over the deck’s edge.
• As my bare feet touched the cool grass, I felt its energy ripple beneath me, drawn to where Chiara stood with one hand perched defiantly on her hip.