I opened my eyes slowly, feeling a rare sense of renewal wash over my limbs. Today, my muscles felt loose, and my mind was quiet.
Turning my head on the pillow, I witnessed a sight that made me hold my breath.
For the first time since we had met, Darius was fast asleep beside me. Usually, he was a silent sentinel before the sun broke the horizon.
His broad chest rose and fell in a steady, heavy rhythm, accompanied by a low, rumbling snore that vibrated through the mattress. The fierce, rigid lines of his jaw had softened in slumber, making him look younger, stripped of the heavy mantle of leadership and vengeance he carried every day.
I slipped out from under the covers, moving with careful and silent steps so I would not disturb him. The wooden floorboards were cool beneath my bare
