The fire had dimmed to a deep orange glow by the time night wrapped itself fully around the small cabin.
The storm had quieted, but the silence it left behind was thick—too thick.
Uneasy.
Aisha lay beneath the blankets, wide awake despite her exhaustion.
The tension from earlier still hummed in the air, making every shift of her body feel amplified, every breath too loud.
The Alpha sat in the chair across from her, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the door as though waiting for something he hadn’t yet spoken aloud.
His silver eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, alert even while his body remained still.
Aisha didn’t understand why he seemed so on edge. She assumed it was the storm… or perhaps because she was here, taking up space.
A worry twisted inside her chest at that thought.
