Aria’s POV
The world came back to me in fragments.
A slow drip somewhere. The faint crackle of dying fire. The smell of smoke, blood, and something sweeter ... milk, maybe. My body felt heavy, as if it wasn’t mine anymore. When I tried to move, a sharp ache tore through my chest.
Then I heard him.
“Aria?” Damon’s voice ... low, rough, frayed around the edges. It wasn’t the voice of an Alpha giving orders. It was just… a man.
I blinked, forcing my eyes open. The ceiling was dim and wooden, light spilling through a crack in the boards. My vision swam before it settled on him.
He sat beside me, his large frame hunched forward, his face buried in shadows. His hair was a mess, his jaw rough with stubble. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
But what caught my breath wasn’t him. It was
