LUCIAN’S POV
I woke to light filtering through the tall windows in a pale, washed-out spill, still bright enough to sting my eyes when I opened them.
For a moment, I lay there disoriented, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts sluggish and heavy as if I’d been dragged up from deep water rather than sleep.
A glance at the wall clock opposite my bed confirmed what I already knew.
Noon.
Again.
The realization settled with a familiar, sour weight in my chest.
I’d been sleeping too much lately. Deep, dreamless stretches that swallowed entire mornings, sometimes whole days.
It wasn’t restorative. It was…avoidant, my body forcing shutdowns my mind refused to grant itself.
That wasn’t a healthy sign. Not for an Alpha. Not for someone who was a guest in a lion’s den.
I shifted slightly—and froze.
