Evelyn
Warmth.
That’s the first thing I was conscious of feeling. It curled around me like a second skin and was amplified by the soft blankets tucked to my chin. Then, I breathed in a lungful and noticed that the air was scented faintly of pine and clean linen.
For a few perfect seconds, I let myself believe it was all just a dream. That the rogue camp, the drugs, Jesse’s eyes watching me through the darkness, had all been terrible figments of my imagination. That I had always been in this warm cocoon in the palace.
But when I blinked open my eyes, the truth found me like it always did.
I was home. The high ceiling above me was carved with the familiar arching patterns of the Alpha King’s palace. The bed beneath me was plush, too luxurious for a camp cot. The light streaming thro
