Elle’s POV
The next morning, I woke up to silence. The house was so quiet that for a second, I wondered if maybe I had dreamed it all—the roars, the growls, the fear I felt deep in my chest. Maybe it was just my imagination running wild.
But no.
I knew what I had heard. I felt it.
It hadn’t been a dream. Something—or someone—was down there in that dungeon. And I was pretty sure it was Ethan.
I sat up slowly, the blanket still wrapped around me. The sun was just beginning to rise, soft light slipping through the curtains and casting long shadows across the room. I sat there for a moment, listening. No sound. No growls. No movement. Just that heavy, eerie quiet.
After a while, I climbed out of bed. The floor was cold, and I curled my toes against it. I folded the blanket and made the b
