_Rylan's POV_
My head was pounding. Every throb echoed through my skull like a war drum. The light spilling through the curtains stabbed into my eyes, making me wince and groan. My tongue felt dry, like sandpaper against the roof of my mouth. I reached for my temples and squeezed them. I was hoping to push away the nausea swirling in my gut.
I sat up slowly. My muscles were aching as if I had run a marathon in my sleep. My sheets were tangled. The pillow was tossed to the floor. Everything felt wrong. The female scent on my skin... it wasn’t Lisa. The room felt cold and foreign. A prickle of unease ran down my spine.
"Alpha?"
Jared’s voice came from the door.
I looked up. I was squinting at him. He stood there. His arms were crossed. There was a hard look in his eyes. There was no war
