Nova woke to silence.
Not the eerie, deathly quiet of a haunted forest, but a soft, living stillness. The kind that came after a storm had passed. Her eyes fluttered open to a gently lit room—her room—sunlight filtering through the tall pines outside the window.
She was home.
The soft weight of River lay across her chest, his breathing steady. He looked peaceful again, cheeks flushed pink, lips slightly parted. The glow was gone—for now. But the memory of what they’d done lingered in every aching muscle, every spark still clinging to her fingertips.
A gentle knock came at the door.
Kade slipped in quietly, relief washing over his face as their eyes met. “You’re awake.”
She sat up slowly, careful not to disturb River. “How long?”
“Two days,” he said, crossing the room. “You passed ou
