It wasn't until four o'clock in the morning that the celebration finally came to an end.

Everyone had retreated to get some much-needed sleep after a long, fun night, and Kael and Morvienne were now tangled together after a hot shower, the sheets kicked down to their ankles.

Kael's arm was draped heavily over Morvienne's waist, his thumb tracing slow, absent-minded circles against her hip. He was breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling against her back in an even rhythm.

Morvienne kept her eyes closed, her breathing shallow and timed to match his. She waited, listening to the shift in his heart rate, and the way his muscles finally...