Alfred’s POV

I woke to the sound of a heartbeat.

Not mine.

But Hers.

Soft, quick, steady… and too far from my bedside.

My eyes snapped open. The room dimmed and sharpened all at once. Bella wasn’t next to me anymore. The chair she’d been sitting in was pushed back, still warm. Her scent lingered, but it trailed out the door.

Something inside me snarled.

I sat up, ignoring the ache in my ribs. The healers had warned me to ...