_Aria's POV_
It had been five days since I had been discharged from the hospital. Five days of forced rest. Five days of being watched. Lucien had not left my side once. He had put his Alpha duties on hold without hesitation, as if nothing else mattered more than keeping his eyes on me. He said it was temporary. He said the pack could wait. I had argued with him more than once, telling him I was fine, telling him I did not need to be guarded like fragile glass. He had ignored me every time.
He had insisted that I stay in his room.
I had refused at first. It felt wrong to take up his space, his bed and his privacy. But Lucien had been unmoved. He said he worried too much when I was out of his sight. He said my body was still healing and that anything could happen. He said I needed to be
