Nathan's POV
The warmth around me felt… unfamiliar. Like sunlight in winter. A trick, maybe. A dream.
I flinched before I even opened my eyes, expecting pain, the cold bite of chains, or the harsh sound of a cell door slamming shut. But instead, I felt soft fabric brushing against my skin. A blanket. A mattress beneath me. And—heat?
My fingers twitched.
A weight shifted on the bed.
I froze, heart thudding wildly in my chest.
"Nathan," a low voice murmured, so close it made my breath catch.
Fear hit me like a blow, instinctively curling me into myself.
"I-it's okay," he said, quieter this time. "You're safe."
Safe? I didn't know what that meant anymore. Safe had never been real. Not in the cold of the cells. Not in the burn of slaps. Not in the silence that followed every command I obeyed without question.
Still… there was something different in his voice now. Something softer. Warmer. I forced my eyes open.
And there he was. Sitting beside me.
