The healer finished binding Sofia's head with a soft linen wrap. She turned to Damien, her expression worried but calm. "The blow was heavy, Alpha. She will be fine, but when she wakes, her mind will be in a fog. She will likely forget the last few years for a little while. Don't worry—it's only for a few hours. Once she sleeps and wakes again, her true memory will return."
Damien nodded, his throat tight. After the healer left, the room fell into a suffocating silence. He sat in a chair pulled close to the bed, watching her. For the first time in months, he wasn't looking at her as a traitor or a slave. He was looking at her as the girl he had loved in secret for years.
A soft groan broke the quiet. Sofia's eyes fluttered open. They were hazy at first, but then they cleared, landing on Damien.
She didn't flinch. She didn't look at him with hate. Instead, a small, weary smile touched her lips. "Damien," she whispered softly.
