Lilian’s POV
“You have thirty seconds to get vertical.”
The voice cut through my dreams like a serrated knife. I groaned, burying my face deeper into the pillow, which, for some reason, smelled absolutely intoxicating. It smelled like cedar, rain, and a deep, earthy musk that made my brain want to stay asleep forever.
“Go away,” I mumbled into the cotton. “It’s dark. Vampires don’t rise until sunset.”
“I’m not a vampire, Lilian. And it’s 0600.”
The duvet was ripped off me in one ruthless motion, and the cold air of the manor hit my skin, shocking me awake. I scrambled up, shivering and blinking against the sudden assault of the bedside lamp to see Alexander standing at the foot of the bed, looking infuriatingly awake.
He was dressed in black tactical joggers and a tight, long-sleeved
