Thalia
I couldn't shut it out. The moment my eyes drifted closed, he was there again, looming behind my eyelids, impossible to escape. Every time I started to drift off, my mind circled back to him—to the feel of his touch, the warmth of his body, and everything I'd let happen between us.
How had it come to this... with Xander?
A sharp knock yanked me from my thoughts. I flinched, my pulse lurching as I forced myself upright and made my way to the door on unsteady feet.
Elara was waiting on the other side.
"Good morning," I managed, my voice wavering slightly.
If Elara noticed how strained I sounded—or caught the lingering scent from the night before—she gave no sign of it. Those things had a way of clinging to the air longer than they should.
She stood as composed as ever. "The Alp
