Chapter 56
Trista's POV
It was evening.
The hallway carpet in the downtown Santa Monica hotel was thick enough to absorb every sound of footsteps.
I had just finished showering. Water still clung to my collarbone. I tossed my comm-stone onto the nightstand and was about to organize my notes from the Healing Institute—
His scent hit me first.
It wasn't a sound. It was his Alpha's aroma, pushing through the air even through walls: cold metal, faint smoky wood, and an intensely suppressed layer of Ironthorn aura.
The muscles in my back instantly tensed.
My sternum felt lightly tapped by a knuckle.
A few seconds later, the knock finally came.
Three taps. Very restrained.
I stood still.
I didn't look through the peephole. I didn't speak.
The door was silent for a moment, then his v
