I wake up warm again.
For a second, I think last night was a dream — the fear, the blood bags, the way Kael held me until I finally fell asleep. But when I blink my eyes open, he’s still there.
Sitting in the chair beside the bed.
Elbows on his knees.
Watching me.
My heart jumps.
“You’re still here,” I say quietly.
He nods. “I didn’t want you waking up alone today.”
That surprises me more than anything. He’s never here in the mornings. He’s always gone before sunrise, off doing Alpha things or whatever hybrids do before breakfast.
I sit up slowly, pulling the blanket around my shoulders. “Why?”
“Because you were scared last night,” he says. “And I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
I look away. “I’m not afraid of you.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“Okay,” I mutter. “Maybe a little.”
