I woke up feeling full—not just in my body, but in my soul. For the first time in years, the hollow, aching void that had been left behind by my old pack was gone, replaced by a radiant, steady warmth. I felt like a brand new woman. The "violet heat" that had once felt like a cage was now a gentle, golden glow beneath my skin.
I had been awake for a while, just letting the morning light filter through the curtains of my small apartment. Demetrius was still deep in sleep, his massive frame sprawled across the bed, one heavy arm draped possessively over my waist. I didn't want to move or wake him; I just wanted to lay here in his arms forever, breathing in the scent of dark earth and rain that clung to the sheets.
We could just stay like this, I thought to myself, tracing the line of a sca
