Chapter 101

The Prey

My mind stirred, and something drifted through fog and shadows before reality finally tugged me awake.

I blinked, as my senses slowly focused on something soft and warm against my skin. Velvet sheets beneath me, plush and thick, and a fur blanket that cocooned me like a stolen warmth I didn’t remember inviting.

I exhaled and a small sound escaped my throat, simultaneously reaching out to clutch the sheets around me, feeling an odd combination of haven and confusion. Where… where was I?

My vision slowly cleared as I looked around the faintly lit room. A soft glow danced across the walls in uneven flashes. I caught the scent of burning firewood—a pungent, smoky smell that felt sharp against the chill hanging in the air. Inviting up to some extent. I blinked again, noticing the flicker of flames coming from somewhere nearby, their crackling sound giving the illusion of a small, roaring beast trapped just out of sight.

Flames… my t