DAMIEN

The morning was still draped in darkness when I woke, my body stiff from exhaustion, yet my mind alert. I sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing a hand down my face before glancing to my side.

Keilah was still asleep, her breathing soft and steady, her lips slightly parted as she let out the occasional quiet snore. My gaze traced over her, from the delicate curve of her face to the way the blanket draped over her form. She looked peaceful—so different from how she had been last night, trembling and bleeding in my arms.

My jaw tightened as I remembered. My fingers curled into the...