Chapter 311

AURELIA’S POV When I woke, everything was quiet. Too quiet. The faint scent of cedarwood and rain clung to the air—a scent that didn’t belong to Draven’s cold, iron walls. The sheets beneath me were soft, the kind that whispered of care. For a second, I thought I was dreaming. But when I turned my head, I saw him. Darius. He stood near the window, his back to me, shirt discarded, his posture rigid. Moonlight carved his silhouette in sharp lines, the muscles in his shoulders tense, his hands clasped behind him like a man restraining his own chaos. Reality crashed back all at once. The ceremony. The poison. The wolves. The fight. The memory of strong arms lifting me, of a heartbeat pounding beneath my ear. I sat up too fast. “Where am I?” He didn’t turn. “Safe.” The single word carried the kind of finality that made my chest ache. “Safe where?” My voice came out low, unsteady, the words scraping my throat. “Where have you brought me this time, Darius?” He didn’t answer immediately. The s