Iris's POV 

Morning light cut through the thin curtains and landed across my face.

I woke slowly, m body felt heavy, the bite on my shoulder ached with a dull, steady throb when I shifted and the insides of my thighs still felt sensitive. For a few seconds I just lay there staring at the ceiling of my childhood bedroom, replaying the night before, the car, the release, the close call downstairs, the way I’d scrubbed myself raw in the shower.

I got up, pulled on a high-neck long-sleeve shirt that covered every mark, and a pair of soft pants that wouldn’t rub too hard. The mirror showed nothing obvious,...