Morning light slipped through the thin curtains, soft and gold, touching everything it reached. I blinked awake to the gentle sound of breathing mine, Elara's, and Joan's. For a moment I didn't move. My head still rested on Joan's lap, and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat was the first calm sound I'd heard in days.
"Hey," Elara whispered when she noticed my eyes open. She sat cross-legged on the floor, her dark hair a tangled halo around her face. "You finally slept."
Joan smiled down at me, her hand smoothing my hair. "About time. You were shaking even in your sleep."
I forced a small smile. "Sorry."
"Don't be." Joan's voice was low, protective. "You needed to rest."
The memory of the previous day drifted back slowly the Alpha's cold command, his eyes like steel, the way everyone had frozen when he spoke. A shiver ran through me. I sat up, hugging my knees.
Someone knocked on the door. We all jumped.
