Aria’s POV

The morning light crept through the curtains, soft and golden, but I wasn’t fooled by its calmness. The world outside could look like heaven and still hold daggers behind its back. My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the glow in the room, but my body felt heavy, drained.

I turned on my side and saw Kael, already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed with his back straight and shoulders rigid. His hand rested on the hilt of the dagger strapped to his thigh, as if even in the safety of our room, he was waiting for an attack. His wolf was too close to the surface;...