Aria woke to her body burning.
Not the gentle warmth of a hearth. Not the fever of sickness. This was something else entirely, a heat that started deep in her belly and rolled outward in waves, settling between her thighs with an ache that made her gasp. Her skin was slick with sweat. Her thin nightdress clung to her body. The room was dark except for the blood red moon hanging at the window like a watching eye.
She sat up. Her heart was pounding. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps. The heat pulsed through her, and with it came a single, undeniable thought.
Rowan.
His name surfaced in her mind like a lifeline.
She didn't understand what was happening to her. Her body knew exactly what it wanted.
She swung her legs off the bed. The stone floor was cold against her bare feet. She
