Chapter Nine

Adrain's POV

When I opened my eyes, the light through the curtains told me more than the clock ever could.

Six hours. Straight.

That had never happened before. Not for years. My sleep came in fragments—two hours here, one there. Always light, always ready to wake at the smallest sound. It was survival, not rest.

But last night—our wedding night—I had fallen into something different. Not peace, not comfort… something deeper. I had surrendered to the dark without even ...