Chapter 19
When Stefan woke, he blinked a couple of times before realising why it was dark.
There was cloth pressing down on his eyelids.
Stretching a little, he could feel the deep mattress and warm sheets of the king-sized bed in the master bedroom. It was unnaturally hot, too, and he could feel dips where normally the bed ought to lie flat.
And he could hear breathing.
Deep, even breaths. From both sides.
He shifted more carefully the second time. His back was a little sore, and he felt empty. Hollow. He throbbed, almost like a second pulse, and already itched to be filled and have the emptiness taken away. He wanted to be grounded—even as he tried to curl up, and realised that he had been tethered to stop him floating away. Metal clinked lightly as he moved, and he tugged experim
