Sunlight was just starting to filter through the heavy drapes of the master chambers, illuminating a space thick with residual heat. The room smelled faintly of tangled sheets, cooled wax, and the lingering honey-and-musk scent of their combined pheromones. It was a scent that always lingered in the wake of a night spent shedding every ounce of restraint.
Zarius shifted carefully beneath the blankets as he drifted awake. The transition from sleep to absolute alertness took him less than a heartbeat, a trained soldier's instinct that he couldn't switch off even in his own bed. But as his mind cleared, any lingering tension melted away when he felt the warm, familiar weight pressed against his chest.
Cherion was still fast asleep, tucked securely against Zarius's side.
