MARA’S POV

I woke with a groan, body aching in places that screamed in protest. My muscles were sore, and the lingering scent of him clung to the sheets and my hair. The bed felt emptier than I wanted it to, and the cool morning air did nothing to soothe the fire in my skin. He was gone. Of course he was. He always left me like this tangled, raw, and haunted by whatever storm he dragged through me.

I tried to stretch quietly, wincing as my sore muscles complained, and that’s when ...