Kaelen woke up to the soft sound of movement beside him.

His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the pale morning light that seeped through the heavy curtains. For a moment, he expected to feel Selene lying beside him, warm, silent, her back pressed to his chest as it had been last night when exhaustion finally dragged them both down.

But the space beside him was empty.

The sheets were pulled away, cool. Selene was fully awake, already dressed, standing near the long mirror while fixing the ...