Leinna's POV.
My eyes fluttered open, blinking against the warm rays of sunlight streaming through the tall windows.
For a moment, I simply stared at the ceiling, disoriented by the familiar room and the scent of cedar and smoke lingering in the air.
Then the soreness hit.
A soft groan escaped me as I shifted beneath the blankets. Every muscle seemed determined to remind me that yesterday had been long and exhausting.
I carefully turned onto my side, my eyes finding Alaric instantly.
He lay on his back, seemingly undisturbed by the morning light pouring across the bed.
His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm, the morning light spilling across the sharp planes of his face. In sleep, he looked different, perhaps less intimidating.
A strand of dark hair had fallen over his f
