Mary Ann’s POV
I woke with Modric’s hand wrapped around mine.
For several seconds, I could not move.
The nightmare still clung to me. The academy dining hall. The laughter. The dark green cloak. The feeling of falling while Modric stood above me and watched.
Then the dream faded, and I became aware of the room around us.
The low fire.
The heavy curtains.
The unfamiliar bed inside my childhood room.
And Modric kneeling beside me.
His fingers held mine firmly, his thumb resting near my pulse as though he needed to feel each beat. His hair was untidy from sleep, and his shirt had twisted slightly across his shoulders. He looked nothing like the controlled Alpha who sat at council tables and ordered entire rooms into silence.
He looked frightened.
The concern in his eyes was so open
