Tessa's POV:
The first thing I felt was warmth.
Soft sheets. A thick blanket. The muted scent of pinewood and fire. I blinked against the golden light streaming through tall windows, casting soft patterns on the floor. My body ached in a hundred places, sore and bruised and drained. But I was alive. I then took a deep breath as if to confirm that fact.
More than that, I was no longer alone.
Lucian’s estate. I knew it even before I opened my eyes fully. The air smelled like pinewood and the faint scent of his cologne, clean, sharp, and grounding. I was home.
As my vision cleared, silhouettes solidified into familiar figures. Lucian sat by my side, his jaw tense, his eyes rimmed red with worry but soft with relief when they met mine. His hand reached for mine without hesitation, wrappin
