Demyan’s POV
The room was dimly lit, bathed in the amber hue of the oil lamp by the bedside. The night air was heavy, still, save for the occasional whisper of wind brushing against the window panes.
I leaned back on the bed, robe carelessly loose around my waist, chest bare, rising and falling slowly as I took another sip from the glass of wine in my hand.
It should’ve calmed me. It didn’t.
My mind… it wasn’t here.
It was with her.
Pearl.
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting her name echo inside me. Her voice, her stubbornness, her sharp tongue and the way her eyes shimmered when she smiled, even when she didn’t mean to.
She left.
I knew she would.
And yet, it didn’t stop the ache that settled deep within my chest.
The silk sheets beneath me felt cold. Empty. I reached for he
