The first light of morning crept softly across the bedding, painting everything it touched in a golden glow, and the warm silence of dawn was broken only by the slow, steady breaths of two bodies tangled together beneath the sheets.
Kaius was the first to stir, his arms instinctively tightening around the soft form curled into his chest, and when he opened his eyes, the sight of Raya sleeping peacefully beside him sent a wave of emotion through his chest so deep and powerful it stole his breath for a moment.
Her hair fanned out across the pillow, her skin radiant in the morning light, and even in sleep, he could feel the faint pulse of the mate bond humming through both their bodies, threading them together with something older, deeper, and far stronger than either of them had anticipa
