Roxy gasped.
Her consciousness slammed back into her physical body and her brilliant green eyes flew open, staring blindly at the dark, vaulted wooden beams of the master bedroom's ceiling.
Her chest heaved frantically, her hands instantly flying up to grip the fabric covering her.
She was lying in the center of the massive, fur-covered bed in the Iron-Wood Manor. The horrific, blood-soaked linens that had entirely defined the nightmare of her labor were completely gone, replaced by soft white sheets that smelled faintly of lavender and Syris's medical herbs.
Her body all felt fine but her heart still felt hollow.
"My Queen!"
A chair scraped violently against the floorboards. Dena, the young wolf-shifter helper, practically threw herself at the edge of the mattress. Her face was entirely pale, her eyes rimmed with heavy, dark circles of profound exhaustion. Tears of relief immediately flooded her vision.
