CIAN
I got out of bed at exactly six in the evening. The healer had said I could move around, that staying still would only make the poison linger in my muscles longer. I didn't argue. Lying there thinking about Fia in the dungeons wasn't going to help anyone.
The shower was hot enough to sting. I stood under the spray and watched the herb-scented water run pink before it cleared. My bandages had come off that afternoon, and the Mourning Moon's burn marks underneath were already fading. Maren had said I healed fast.
I dried off and dressed carefully. My hands weren't quite steady yet, but I was Alpha. I couldn't look weak. I combed my hair, checked myself in the mirror, and told the weak thing inside me to shut up and get back in its cage.
I headed for Mother's wing at six forty-five.
