Delilah's Pov

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the silence. The kind of silence that wasn't empty, it was heavy, slow, and almost sacred. I could hear my heartbeat echo faintly in my ears before I even opened my eyes.

The sheets beneath me were soft, a luxury that felt foreign. The scent of something dark and clean lingered in the air. Cedarwood. And smoke. And... him.

I blinked, slowly turning to my side. Verret wasn't there. His side of the bed was neatly made, as though he'd been up for hours. A faint ripple of warmth still lingered where he'd lain.

Memories from last night...