Lila
Morning comes quietly.
Too quietly.
The forest outside Selene’s cabin is still, mist clinging low to the ground as if it hasn’t decided whether to lift or stay. My body feels heavy when I wake, every muscle sore in a way that has nothing to do with sleep.
The dream lingers.
Not the images—those fade like breath on glass—but the awareness. The echo of being watched. Weighed. Wanted.
The silver warmth beneath my skin stirs lazily, no longer frantic, no longer explosive.
Settled.
That should comfort me.
It doesn’t.
I sit up slowly, pushing my pale hair back from my face, watching the faint glow trace beneath my skin before dimming again. Whatever answered me last night didn’t leave.
It marked me.
A soft knock sounds at the door.
Rowan.
“Come in,” I say.
He steps inside, cl
