Kaelira POV
I woke up with the taste of smoke in my throat. My body jerked upright before I could stop it, breath coming in sharp, uneven pulls.
The room was dark. Quiet. But my heart refused to slow, pounding like I was still trapped inside it…
The fire. The screams and him.
That boy. I dragged a hand over my face, pressing hard like I could force the images out of my head. It didn’t work. His eyes were still there. Watching me, not scared or lost.
Waiting.
“For me…” I whispered.
My wolf stirred faintly, not in fear but in recognition.
That was what unsettled me the most.
Not the dream.
Not the fire.
But the feeling that it wasn’t just a dream.
I swung my legs off the bed, forcing myself to stand. The room felt too small suddenly, like the walls were closing in with memories
