The Morning After
BRISEIS Morning arrived slowly. For a long time, I did not open my eyes. The warmth surrounding me was too peaceful to disturb. Orion’s arm rested heavily across my waist, his body curved behind mine in a way that felt instinctive rather than deliberate. Even in sleep, he held me like something he refused to let the world take away. The steady rhythm of his breathing brushed softly against the back of my neck. And beneath that— The bond. I felt it clearly now. A quiet, living thread between us. It hummed softly beneath my skin, warm and constant, like a second heartbeat echoing alongside my own. The mark at my throat pulsed faintly. Not painful. Sensitive. Alive. I lifted a hand slowly and brushed my fingers over it. The skin there was warm, slightly tender, and the moment I
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