Wendy's POV
The silence surrounds me like a blanket I never knew I needed.
For centuries, maybe longer, power has always buzzed beneath my skin like electricity through wire. Now that constant hum has faded to barely a whisper. The morning sunlight streams through gaps in the old wooden boards, turning ordinary dust into dancing gold. Beyond these walls, I can hear something I'd almost forgotten existed - birds singing without fear.
Javier lies beside me, his breathing deep and even.
His arm curves around my waist possessively, and I can feel his heartbeat against my spine through the thin fabric of my shirt. The mark he branded into my throat pulses with each beat of his heart. A wolf's claim. His wolf's permanent signature carved into my flesh.
Every time it throbs, something primal in me responds.
