The first thing I noticed was the scent.
It was intoxicating, warm, dark, rich with something ancient and untamed. It curled around me like smoke, threading into my senses until I could no longer tell where it ended and I began. It wasn't the cold stench of fear or the loud siren alarm like I was used to waking up to. No. This scent was all power, dominance, and something primal.
And it made my heart ache
My head throbbed as I opened my eyes, lids heavy like I'd been asleep for years. A dull pulse beat behind my temples, but I forced myself to blink through the haze. The room I found myself in was.… unfamiliar. Far too luxurious for a feral girl like me
Dark velvet curtains framed tall windows that bathed the room in golden light. The walls were stone-gray, intricately carved, lined with gold accents. A chandelier glowed above like a sky full of stars, and the sheets beneath me were silk—smooth and cool against my skin.
This wasn't the academy hospital. This wasn't punishment.
