Aria’s POV
I woke up to the sound of steady breathing beside me.
For a moment, I didn’t move. The room was quiet...just the faint morning breeze through the curtains and Cassian’s steady breath against my shoulder. His arm was still draped across my waist, heavy and warm.
Cassian. The Alpha everyone bowed to now. The boy everyone feared… and the one who had whispered that he loved me just a few hours ago.
I turned slowly, watching him. The morning light fell softly on his face, tracing the curve of his jaw, the tiny scar on his cheek, the mess of his dark hair. He looked younger in sleep...softer, peaceful in a way I rarely saw. Like all the weight of being Alpha had slipped off him for the night.
I smiled faintly and brushed my fingers along his jaw. His stubble scratched my fingerti
