*~Gabrielle's POV~*
"No, Lucien, no!" I cried against his chest, my voice muffled by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His arms came around me, strong and holding me together when I felt like falling apart.
"You have to find it inside of you, Gabrielle," he murmured against my hair. "You can't depend on that book. You don't need it. You are the power."
"I know…" I whispered, my tears soaking into his cloth.
After a while, he loosened the embrace and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm kind of… already feeling cold now," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
A weak laugh escaped me. "Okay, I'm coming."
I stood up and, without thinking twice, slipped out of my gown. He did the same, unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it aside, revealing his sculpted chest. My breath caught.
I will never get used to his body.
