Sleep came to me like a thief. One moment, I was staring at the ceiling, and the next, the world turned absolutely blank, sleep stealing me away swiftly. My body gave in before my mind could.
It was strange—peaceful even. No dreams, no imagined whispers from Freya, no echoes of Luna Odessa's voice warning me about Alpha Dawn in my head. Just silence.
For the first time in a long while, I wasn't thinking. I wasn't hurting. I was simply… gone.
But then, warmth. Switfly yet so tenderly.
Something pressed against my back, firm and steady. A hand slipped around my waist, pulling me closer to a body that felt both unfamiliar and familiar at once.
My heart jolted. I froze.
The hand tightened slightly, steadying me in place. The heat of a breath brushed the back of my neck, slow and warm. His chest rose and fell behind me, in sync with my own.
For a second, I thought I was dreaming again.
Then his scent hit me—earthy pine and clean rain. It slid into me like it always does.
