Waking up in Darius’s cabin felt different than any other morning we’d shared on the road. The light coming through the heavy wooden shutters was softer, filtered by the thick forest surrounding us. I lay there for a long moment, listening to his steady breathing beside me, feeling the weight of his arm draped across my waist. It was real. We were here. In his pack’s territory. My new home.
I shifted carefully, trying not to wake him, but of course he stirred anyway. Those emerald eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleep, and the small smile that curved his lips made something warm unfurl in my chest. He pulled me closer without a word, burying his face in the crook of my neck, his stubble scratching pleasantly against my skin.
“Morning,” he mumbled, voice rough and low. His hand slid
