Chapter 155. Before the Ritual

Xerina’s POV

I woke slowly, my body warm and cocooned in something solid and safe. For a moment, everything was quiet—no dreams, no fire, no screaming. Just stillness. My eyelids fluttered open, the faint morning light filtering through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.

And then I realized where I was.

Rasmus’s arms were wrapped around me, his chest rising and falling steadily against my back. The weight of his arm draped over my waist, his hand resting against my stomach. Warm. Comforting. His breath was slow, deep, against the back of my neck, and I froze.

I didn’t know what to do—move? Stay still? My heart started to pound in my chest, the feeling of his body so close, so intimate, sending a wave of confusion and… something else I didn’t want to name.

I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself. Last night. I remembered last night. The nightmare, the panic, and then Rasmus. He stayed. He promised, and he kept that promise.