The next morning, when Thalina finally stirred awake, the first thing she noticed was the silence.
Tharion was gone.
Her eyes cracked open warily, sweeping across the unfamiliar bed—his bed. The fur-lined sheets, the lingering scent of him, the slight dip in the mattress where he had slept. He had been here, watching her, she was sure of it. But now? Vanished.
She sat up cautiously, half-expecting some possessive trap, but to her surprise, the door was left unlocked. A rare mercy.
Thalina's heart leapt.
She was free.
No guards. No obstacles. No looming predator waiting to pounce on her the moment she tried to escape. She wouldn't waste this chance.
Moving as silently as possible, she crept across the room, every muscle in her body coiled like a hunted animal.
The last thing she needed was to get caught sneaking out of Tharion's chambers. The palace workers were already gossiping about her enough as it was.
Luckily, his wing was still deserted. Thank the heavens.
