章 37: Calm waters

After dinner, they excused themselves for the night, leaving me alone by the fireplace. My head wasn't throbbing as much now—alpha healing was kicking in, as expected. As I lay down, staring at the flickering flames, my mind buzzed with thoughts, swirling with questions and emotions I couldn't quite grasp. Eventually, exhaustion won, and I drifted off to sleep.

***

The sensation of weight on my face woke me. I couldn't breathe. Panicked, I opened my eyes to find a fat, lazy bird perched squarely on top of me. I swatted it away, and it fluttered off—but then the damn thing came back, as if this was some kind of game. Over and over again, I shooed it away, only for it to return.

The sound of giggling and a snort pulled my attention. I sat up to see Thorne lounging in a rocking chair, his eyes closed, and Noelle sitting in his lap, looking entirely too amused by my situation.

"Grape, don't do that to our guest," Noelle said, still chuckling.

Grape?