Aria’s POV
When I woke, the first thing I noticed was the air.
It felt… heavier. Different. Like the whole room was breathing with me.
The curtains fluttered even though the windows were closed. My skin tingled, warmth sliding through me like sunlight under the skin. My body ached, but not from weakness...something else. Something alive.
I sat up slowly. Damon was still sitting in the chair by the window, half-asleep, his head resting on his hand. His hair was messy, his shirt undone at the collar, the faint shadow of stubble across his jaw. He looked… human-like that. Not the ruthless Alpha everyone feared...just a man who hadn’t slept because he was afraid I wouldn’t wake.
“Damon,” I whispered.
He stirred, eyes opening instantly, sharp as if he’d been awake the whole time. When the
