>>Aelin
I awoke slowly to the sound of soft breathing.
Warmth pressed against my back—solid, steady, familiar. For a moment, I lay still, not moving, my thoughts floating somewhere between dreams and reality. The morning light peeked through the long, sheer curtains, painting golden lines across the floor and casting a soft glow over the room.
Draegon's arm was draped around my waist, his hand resting gently just below my ribs. The weight of it was grounding. Comforting. And the way his body curled just slightly around mine made something inside me settle.
It wasn't the first morning I'd woken up beside him—but it felt different somehow. Less tense. Less uncertain. Like a quiet understanding had bloomed between us, one neither of us dared to speak aloud yet.
I tilted my head slightly and peeked over my shoulder.
