I bolted upright in bed, breath lodged in my throat and my heart pounding frighteningly. I yelped as the door to my room crashed open and Valen came to a stop abruptly, his eyes alert and scanning my room before coming to rest on me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, his sudden entrance immediately stemming my panic.

Some of the tension drained from his shoulders at my question. With a surety that seemed as natural as breathing, he stalked over to my bed and eased down on one side, with ...