Porcupine Ridge Numerous sections are inscribed with "ETERNAL",

His green eyes lingered on hers, probing, challenging. He tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening, though his voice softened. I wonder what answer you’re hoping for.

There was a brief pause, the silence heavy with unsaid things, before he continued, his tone shifting to something more deliberate. I lie when it suits me. I carve my place and leave the marks I choose.

His words were measured, the polished veneer of his demeanor intact, though there was something raw beneath them—a quiet acknowledgment that he had, at times, been exactly what she thought. The faintest tilt of his head invited her to keep looking, to see if she could find more.

To protect. If that's what it takes.