Calla woke before dawn to the steady rise and fall of Adrian’s chest beneath her cheek.
For a moment, she didn’t move. Couldn’t.
His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, fingers splayed possessively against her skin, as if even in sleep he refused to let her drift more than a breath away. His other hand rested along her spine — warm, heavy, grounding.
She felt the way his body curled instinctively around hers.
As if she were something precious.
As if the wolf inside him recognized her even deeper than the man did.
The memory of last night burned hot across her skin.
The hunger.
The tenderness.
The way he whispered her name like it was a vow carved from bone.
A blush crept up her neck.
She shifted slightly — and immediately, Adrian’s hand tightened around her hip in a way th
