Warmth.
That was the first thing Elara felt when she stirred. The steady, solid heat of a body behind her, the weight of an arm draped over her waist, and the faint rumble of a slow, even breath against the back of her neck.
She didn't open her eyes right away. The events of the night before clung to her like smoke—Adrian's hands on her, his voice like velvet wrapped around steel, the way the world had narrowed down to just him.
And yet… there had been more than heat. There had been something else in the way he held her afterward, something almost protective.
"You're awake."
His voice, rough from sleep, brushed against her ear.
She smiled faintly but kept her eyes closed. "How can you tell?"
His arm tightened around her. "Your breathing changed. And your heart started racing."
Her cheeks warmed. "Maybe I was dreaming."
He hummed low in his chest, a sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "About me?"
She bit her lip. "Wouldn't you like to know."
The sheet shifted as he moved closer, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "I'd like to make sure you don't have to dream to get what you want."
Her pulse jumped, but before she could reply, he nuzzled against her neck, his breath warm on her skin. His fingers found hers under the blanket, lacing them together, holding her as if the outside world could be kept at bay by sheer will.
For a few moments, it worked.
But then his voice dropped into that serious, unreadable tone. "Dante won't stop."
The reminder was a splash of cold water on her warmth. She turned in his arms, facing him. His eyes were sharp now, awake in a way that told her he'd been thinking about this since dawn.
"You think he'll come after me?" she asked.
"I know he will." His thumb brushed over her cheekbone, as if he needed to keep touching her even while delivering the warning. "You're not just mine, Elara. You're a threat to him. And he's the kind of wolf who eliminates threats."
She swallowed. "Then I'll fight."
His jaw clenched. "Not alone. Never alone. If he touches you again…" His eyes flashed gold, the beast in him closer to the surface. "…I'll end him."
For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke. The morning light spilled in through the curtains, painting gold across the tangled sheets and the planes of his bare shoulders.
Her hand found his chest, resting over his heartbeat. "You're not just protecting me because I'm your mate, are you?"
He caught her hand, pressing it harder against his skin. "No," he said simply. "I'm protecting you because I can't imagine breathing without you."
The air between them shifted again, tension sparking—not the sharp kind from last night's fight, but the slow, smoldering kind that made her forget there was a world outside this bed.
He leaned in, his lips ghosting over hers, and she thought maybe the morning wouldn't be so different from the night after all.