Aurelia’s POV
The days that followed blurred into each other—routine, repetition, restraint. I poured myself into the clinic like it was a shield, letting the hours drown out thoughts I refused to entertain. Healing wounds was easier than tending to my own.
The mornings started early, the nights ended late. It helped. The dull ache behind my eyes was a comfort in its own right—a reminder that I was too tired to feel. Too tired to want.
And that was exactly how I liked it.
Until, of course, Zachary and Jack strolled into the infirmary one unusually bright afternoon, both of them grinning like they had stumbled across something precious.
Zachary leaned against the doorframe with the casual elegance only he could pull off. Jack, of course, was already halfway into the room, holding a rol
