I woke with that sharp taste of iron lingering in the back of my throat, and the world around me felt way too loud—like every sound had been turned up to full blast. My senses were raw, stripped down to the bone. That clearing where I shifted had felt like a pounding drum, and now the cabin around me felt like a fresh wound—stitched but still tender.
My muscles hummed with a strange new awareness, like they were singing a song I didn't yet know the words to. The glow in my eyes hadn't quite faded. Ronan was asleep nearby, curled up beside the dying fire, his face soft in a way I'd only seen once before. Lyra and Selvara moved quietly around the room, voices low, going about their tasks like nothing huge had just happened.
When I slid my feet onto the floor, the furs slipped beneath me, and my belly tightened with the stretch of my new form. Funny, I hadn't given the pregnancy much thought during that fevered night. Now, the reminder hit me hard and clear.
