Selene POV
Sleep did not claim me gently.
It came in waves, heavy and consuming, pulling me under only after my body had been wrung of its strength and my spirit had been soothed by the steady presence of my mate. When my eyes finally fluttered open again, it felt as though only moments had passed, even though the sky beyond the tall windows had shifted from pale afternoon light to the deepening hues of dusk.
The heat was still there.
It no longer burned like wildfire, but it coiled low and constant within me, a living thing that stirred the moment consciousness returned. My skin felt sensitive, alive, as though every nerve had been tuned to a sharper frequency, and the bond between Lucian and me hummed with renewed intensity.
Nymeria lifted her head within me, alert and restless.
Still not done, she murmured, her voice thick with instinct and demand.
