Elena
*****Early Morning — The Inner Keep, Private Solar*****
Morning came quietly.
Not the dramatic kind that announced itself with horns or alarms, but the kind that slipped in through the curtains like it had permission to be there. I was already awake when the light touched the floor.
I hadn’t slept much.
Not because of nightmares.
Not because of fear.
Because my body felt… different.
Not wrong.
Not painful.
Just different enough that I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Chase was still asleep beside me, one arm slung loosely over my waist, his breathing slow and even. That alone would have been enough to keep me there, but my thoughts refused to stay quiet.
I carefully shifted, easing out from under his arm.
He stirred immediately.
“Where are you going,” he murmured, voice roug
