Ryder POV
I wake with my back against Jolie's door and every muscle in my body screaming. Three days of sitting in the same position will do that. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
The room's quiet now. Her scent has faded from that overwhelming heat to something softer, though it still makes my wolf pace restlessly.
I push to my feet, joints popping, and look at the bed. She's asleep finally, curled into a tight ball under the blankets. Her face is pale, dark circles under her eyes, hair tangled on the pillow.
She looks destroyed. And beautiful. And mine in a way that has nothing to do with claiming and everything to do with trust.
I should leave. Let her rest. But my wolf won't let me walk away, so I compromise. I move to the chair in the corner, as far from the bed as I can get,
