CHAPTER 173
The master suite was a sanctuary of deep velvet insulated from the rest of the fortress by layers of silence.
Isabella woke slowly, a low moan catching in the back of her throat as she shifted against the silk sheets.
The air in the room was cool, but she was enveloped in a warmth that felt like a permanent hearth. Lucian's arm was a protective weight across her waist, his fingers curled slightly into the fabric of her nightgown as if even in rest, he was anchoring her to him.
She blinked her eyes open, the silver-grey light of the northern morning filtering through the heavy drapes.
For a moment, she simply breathed him in while rubbing her cheek against his chest, feeling the solid, immobile strength of him.
Then, the unmistakable reality of being human—or at least, a living Lycan—interrupted the bliss. Her bladder gave an insistent tug.
