-Elara Voss:
I woke up feeling warm.
That was weird.
Not because warmth itself was strange, but because I hadn't felt it in so long. Not real warmth—the kind that seeped into your bones, the kind that made you feel safe, even when you weren't.
The last thing I remembered was sitting with Ronan, checking his wounds (which he swore weren't a big deal), talking to him (which he mostly grunted through), and at some point… well, I must have fallen asleep.
I shifted under the covers—covers I didn't remember pulling over myself.
Ronan.
Even though he'd act all tough and broody about it, I knew it had to be him.
He is a softie and just doesn't want to admit it.
A small, secret smile played on my lips before I stretched and sat up on the bed. The room was dim, the fire burning low in the hearth, casting flickering shadows against the stone walls. But Ronan wasn't here.
He must've left while I was sleeping.
