CLARE POV:
I woke up wrapped in a bundle of blankets and silence.
No cold arm around my waist.
No warm chest pressed against my back.
Just me.
And for once — thank the gods — no undead spoons or furry furnace snuggles.
But then… I smelled something.
Delicious.
The smell of something delicious wafting through the air—eggs, maybe… toast? My stomach grumbled before my brain even fully caught up. It smelled like home. Like normalcy.
My stomach growled like it hadn't eaten in days. The scent wafted through the apartment — buttery, warm, maybe even a little sweet. Not vampire-blood-drenched nightmares. Not dried fear and sweat. Just… breakfast.
I blinked, pushing off the covers and sitting up. The bed was empty. No Blaze. No Reed. Just me and my blanket cocoon. And gods, I hadn't felt this alone in days—in the best possible way.
