Gaia’s POV

Warmth surrounded me first—soft sheets, the familiar scent of pine and home, the faint glow of afternoon light filtering through familiar rose-patterned curtains. My own bedroom in the Rose Heart Alpha villa. For a long moment I simply breathed, letting the reality settle. The silver collar was gone. The hunger that had gnawed at me for a day and a night had been replaced by a gentle ache and the taste of broth on my tongue. Someone had cared for me while I ...