Denera
For the first time, we had fallen asleep on bad terms. Rockan and I hadn’t spoken a word since our disagreement last night. I was more surprised that he hadn’t tried to assert his alpha authority over me, demanding silence or obedience.
It was something I expected, yet he had chosen a different path, one that left me feeling unsettled.
The morning crept in slowly, the sun taking its time to rise. I shifted on the bed, turning to face my mate, but his back was turned to me, a solid wall of muscle and warmth that I longed to reach out to. My heart ached with the words I hadn’t yet spoken—I love you. It hung in the air between us, unvoiced and heavy.
I couldn’t help but admire his bare back, the way the morning light played off his skin. A stray strand of rope was tied behind his
