The warmth of his body lingered long after he laid me down on my bed.
I barely registered the softness of the bed beneath me, only that I had been in his arms a moment ago, and now I wasn't.
My eyes fluttered open just a fraction, catching a glimpse of him moving through the dim room.
I heard a click. It was the door.
He locked it.
The knowledge barely stirred anything in me. I was too tired, too drained, my limbs refusing to cooperate. Sleep curled its fingers around my consciousness, pulling me under, but then he came back.
The side of the bed beside me dipped, and I felt his presence. His fingers gently brushed against my cheek.
"Alaric…" My voice was sluggish.
"Shh."
His fingers drifted lower down my arm to the zipper at my back. I felt the slow tug, the fabric loosening around me, slipping down my shoulders.
"I can do it," I murmured as I attempted to lift my arms, but he caught them effortlessly.
"Relax." He commanded softly.
