Aurora’s P.O.V

Back at my house, the familiar walls wrapped around me like a fragile cocoon, offering a semblance of safety that I wasn’t sure I could trust anymore. I moved through the space on autopilot, careful to keep my emotions in check, especially with Riley nearby. He had no idea what had happened, and I intended to keep it that way. There was no use in worrying him, no point in making him see the darkness that had brushed against me tonight.

In the shower, I scrubbed ...