Lucas leaned against the sturdy wooden railing overlooking the training grounds, arms crossed as he silently observed his men. The rhythmic clash of swords, the crunch of fists against flesh, the grunts of exertion. All of it played like a violent symphony before him.
But even as he watched, his mind was somewhere else.
He knew Ava was bored out of her damn mind.
The signs were painfully obvious; the way she snapped at everyone for breathing too loudly, walking too slowly, or existing in her general vicinity. The fortress walls had become a gilded cage, and Ava was a wild animal pacing restlessly inside it.
So, Lucas had arranged for her to be there.
It wasn't much. She still wasn't cleared to leave the fortress, but at least she could move around more carefully instead of being stuck inside.
He heard the low purr of an engine approaching and turned his head just in time to see Nolan drive in with her.
Lucas exhaled.
