Elle’s POV
I went downstairs without taking a shower. My hair was still messy from sleep, and I hadn’t even brushed it properly. But I didn’t care. I was too distracted. My thoughts were a tangled mess, still stuck in last night—the dungeon, the beast, those red eyes staring into mine. And how quiet the night had ended. Peaceful.
I didn’t know if Ethan would be downstairs. A part of me hoped he wouldn’t be, so I wouldn’t have to face him. But a bigger part of me… wanted to see him. Just to make sure he was still calm.
The stairs creaked under my feet as I made my way down, one hand lightly running along the wooden rail. My fingers felt cold. Maybe it was nerves.
When I got to the kitchen, I paused in the doorway.
He was there.
Ethan stood at the stove, his broad back turned to me,
