Serena’s POV

The silence that followed was unlike any I had ever known. I lay my head against Ardan’s chest. It was warm and it soothed all the emotions I had carried for weeks. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt safe.

Ardan’s chest rose and fell steadily beneath me, but there was a tension in his body I couldn’t ignore. His muscles twitched and his breaths was uneven as though something deep within him had awoken.

“Serena,” he whispered.

I tilted my head up to meet his eyes as I traced my fingers along his chest in small, comforting circles. “Hmm?”

His next words...