Ash's POV
I woke up slowly, the bed empty beside me, the sheets cool where Rowan should have been, the room quiet except for the faint morning light filtering through the curtains, and for a moment I just lay there staring at the empty space, my heart doing something strange.
A tug that felt like disappointment mixed with relief, like I was glad he wasn't there to see me like thus but also strangely empty without his presence filling the room.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes, the events of the night crashing back in waves, the forest, the crying, the spirits whispering about surrender, the patrol, the shed and the food.
Rowan's jacket still wrapped around me, the way he had held me, the way I had kissed him, the way I had asked him to kiss me back, the memory making my cheeks burn even now,
