Lirien's POV
I woke up slowly, my body heavy and warm, like I was floating in thick honey.
The apartment was quiet, but the air felt… different. Thicker. Heavier. Two distinct Alpha scents filled every corner — Vael's deep, smoky, possessive one that I knew so well, and Davis's sharper, darker, spicier scent that still made my stomach flutter with nerves and something I didn't want to name.
Both of them were close to rut. I could feel it in the air, like static before a storm.
I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. Vael wasn't beside me. I could hear low voices from the living room — calm, controlled, but with an undercurrent of tension. I slipped on one of Vael's large shirts and padded barefoot down the hallway.
The moment I stepped into the living room, the combined pheromones hit me like a wave.
It was overwhelming.
