The thunder outside the compound rolled like a warning drum. Not rushed. Not frantic. Slow. Heavy. Measured. Each rumble shook the ground a little harder than the one before it, as if something enormous walked just beyond sight.
The Patron was coming.
The air inside the suite tightened. A soft vibration crept through the floor, climbing into the walls and settling into the ceiling. The candles along the bedside trembled, their flames bowing inward as though pushed by invisible breath.
Aria felt it before anyone else.
She stiffened in Luca's arms, her hand instinctively flying to her stomach. The baby responded instantly with a firm kick, strong but not frantic.
"She knows," Aria whispered.
Luca held her tighter. "She is safe. You both are."
But Aria shook her head, her voice strained. "No. She knows he is near."
