Chapter 22
Morning came in thin and gray through Emilia’s blinds.
Nate was still there.
That was the first thing she understood before she even opened her eyes all the way. Heat at her back. An arm heavy across her waist. The smell of him in the sheets, rain and woods and skin. Her wolf, which usually stayed quiet unless she was angry or scared, was settled in a way that felt almost embarrassing.
She stayed still.
If she moved, the night would turn into a conversation. If she stayed, she could keep the version where he came back, where they did not stop, where Vanessa’s recording sat on the nightstand like a bomb they had agreed not to touch until morning.
Nate’s breath hit the back of her neck.
“You’re awake,” he said. Voice rough. Low.
“How do you know?”
“Your heart changed.” A
