Dakota could tell he was truly exhausted.
She had noticed it the moment he walked through the door.
His usually straight posture carried the slightest hint of weariness, his voice had become rough with fatigue, and even the reassuring smile he had offered her seemed to require more effort than usual. Whatever had happened in Blackwood Village, it had clearly demanded far more of him than he was willing to admit.
She wanted to ask him about the plague.
She wanted to know whether everyone was safe... whether anyone had died... whether he had managed to find a solution.
But those questions quietly dissolved the moment she looked into his eyes.
He needed sleep.
Not another conversation.
Turning slightly within his embrace, Dakota nestled herself closer until her forehead rested beneath his chin. One hand slipped beneath the blanket to find his, gently intertwining their fingers before laying their joined hands against his chest.
Kade responded almost instinctively.
