Marcus’s POV
I woke up at 5:47 AM, same as every morning.
Not because of an alarm, but because my internal clock was programmed to wake me exactly thirteen minutes before Lyra typically stirred. Those thirteen minutes were mine, time to watch her sleep, to memorize the way the early morning light caught in her hair, to count her breaths and make sure she was safe and whole and exactly where she belonged.
In my arms.
She was curled against my side, her face peaceful in sleep, one hand resting over my heart like she was claiming it even in her dreams. Which she was, of course. Had been since the day we found her, though it had taken years for me to understand what that meant.
Kael was sprawled across the foot of the bed like an overgrown puppy, one arm thrown across Lyra’s legs in a pos
