The first thing Amaya felt when she opened her eyes was warmth.
Not the gentle warmth of morning light.
This warmth was alive.
Protective.
Wild.
Her gaze fluttered open, and she recognized it instantly.
Leo.
He was sitting beside her, one knee drawn up, elbow resting casually on it, but there was nothing casual about the way he watched the entrance of the Lunar Sanctuary. Every muscle in his body was coiled and alert, tail flicking in precise, rhythmic movements.
Like a predator waiting for the slightest reason to strike.
But Amaya noticed something else.
He was exhausted.
Not physically — his body looked steady and powerful as always — but his eyes…
Soft shadows sat beneath them, faint but there.
His breathing was slow, deliberate, controlled.
He hadn't slept.
Not even a moment.
She sat up quietly, not wanting to startle him.
But Leo's ears twitched, and his gaze snapped to her instantly.
"You're awake," he said, voice low.
She nodded. "You didn't sleep."
