Morning light filtered through the heavy velvet drapes of the suite in The Silver Pine Inn, casting thin, golden beams across the chaotic landscape of the bed. The air in the room was thick, heavy with the scent of musk, sweat, and the distinct, salty tang of sex.
Yun Lan stirred, a low groan escaping her lips as consciousness slowly drifted back to her. Her body felt heavy, incredibly heavy, as if her bones had been replaced with lead. Every muscle ached with a dull, throbbing soreness, particularly her inner thighs and her hips. She felt sticky, her skin coated in dried fluids—evidence of the frantic, desperate "healing" session that had lasted until the early hours of the morning.
She blinked her eyes open, expecting to see the ceiling of her ice cave, or perhaps the austere roof of her sect chambers. Instead, she saw the wooden beams of the inn.
And then, she felt the movement beside her.
