Pain did not arrive all at once.
It came in layers.
Aria drifted in and out of awareness, her body heavy, her mind sharp in a way it had never been before. Every sound felt too loud, every presence too close. The world no longer blurred at the edges. It sharpened.
That was the problem.
She could feel everything.
The healers worked in silence, their movements efficient but tense. Their wolves stayed close to the surface, instincts prickling uneasily in her presence. Not fear exactly.
Reverence.
That realization sent a chill through her.
She hated it.
"Easy," a familiar voice murmured.
Damien.
His hand rested lightly over hers, not gripping, not restraining. Grounding. He wasn't pouring power into her. He was anchoring.
Good. He understood already.
"I'm fine," Aria said hoarsely.
Damien's jaw tightened. "You absorbed a Sovereign strike."
"And redirected it," she corrected.
"Yes," he said. "Which is worse."
