Aria’s POV
The afternoon light crept gently into the bedroom, casting a soft glow over the sheets still rumpled from last night. Klaus’s scent lingered on the pillow beside me—rich, warm, grounding. I turned toward it, burying my face for a moment and breathing him in. It was a comfort I hadn’t realized I needed until now.
The house was quiet. Too quiet.
Klaus had left earlier, brushing his lips against my forehead and whispering that he had business to handle. He hadn’t said where or what it involved—only that he would be gone most of the day. I trusted him. I did. But later, I could feel him pulling back, just slightly, like a thread unraveling slowly. He thought I wouldn’t notice. But I could feel it in our bond.
A flicker of tension hummed just beneath the surface—faint, but undeni
