ETHAN — POV

I woke with a jolt.

The darkness was still thick around me, but the warmth of Emma pressed against me hadn’t moved. My chest tightened—not with comfort, but with that same fire I always felt when she was near. Something inside me had snapped in the night. That soft brush of her lips against mine… my mind refused to let it go.

I bolted upright. Heart hammering. Mind racing.

“Emma,” I hissed, voice low, dangerous. My hand gripped her shoulder, shaking slightly. “ What ...