Kai's POV
The first light of dawn found me awake. I had not slept much. The space between our cots felt like a mile and an inch all at once. Her scent, now free of the chemical blockers, filled the room. Jasmine and frost. It was a quiet torment. A beautiful agony. I watched the slow rise and fall of her breathing. The soft shirt I had given her was twisted slightly, revealing the smooth skin of her shoulder. The sight was a punch to my gut. This was Aria. Unbound. Unhidden. Asleep in my clothes. In my room. The reality of it was a weight I was still learning to carry.
She stirred, a soft sound escaping her lips. Her eyes fluttered open. For a single, heart-stopping moment, there was no fear in them. Just a drowsy, peaceful confusion. Then she saw me watching. The guard came up instantly
