I blinked, groggily and totally disoriented, then froze when my brain registered his presence.
Aiden stood quietly by the door in only a pair of trousers and nothing else.
Barefoot. Shirtless.
The firelight behind him flickered gently, casting a warm, golden glow across his skin and outlining the sculpted lines of his body.
His hair was tousled, damp at the edges, like he'd stepped out of a shower but hadn't cared to dry it thoroughly.
The shadows clung to his frame, softening the sharpness of muscle and bone, making him look less like the untouchable Alpha he was and more like a man trying not to fall apart.
But there was no arrogance in his stance, no smugness in his gaze, only softness and regret.
"I shouldn't have come," he murmured in a rough voice.
I sat up slowly, brushing strands of hair from my face, the blanket falling to my lap. My heart twisted painfully, caught somewhere between the comfort of seeing him and the ache of everything still unsaid.
