Pearl POV
The next morning, I woke to find Demyan sprawled beside me like an oversized wolf pup, his arm heavy across my middle. He was still half-asleep, his lashes dark against his cheekbones, his lips parted. If anyone from court or the academy had seen him like this, they would have laughed at the thought of their proud, ruthless Alpha looking so peaceful, almost boyish.
I shifted, trying to ease myself up against the pillows, but the weight of him kept me pinned. “Demyan,” I whispered, nudging his shoulder.
“Mmm,” he grumbled, not moving.
“Let me up,” I tried again.
“Not a chance,” he muttered, pulling me even closer, pressing his face into the curve of my neck. “Warm. Mine.”
I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “You sound like a spoiled child.”
He cracked one eye open, d
