𑣲Sleep.

Xior's POV

Voices pulled me from the darkness.

At first, I thought I was dreaming. The voices were distant, muffled, like hearing people talk through water. But they grew clearer as consciousness crept in.

"Is he alright?" A soft female voice. Worried.

"He's fine." Kade's voice, closer. "Just let him rest."

"But it's been so long. Should I wake him? What if something's wrong?"

"Trust me, girl. The alpha needs this."

I opened my eyes.

The tent ceiling came into focus slowly. Sunlight filtered through the fabric, casting everything in warm gold. Sunlight. Not moonlight.

My heart stuttered.

I sat up fast, the furs falling away from my chest. My head felt strange. Light. Clear in a way it hadn't been in years.

Near the tent entrance, Aradia stood with Kade. She jumped when I moved, her eyes going wide. Even in the daylight, she looked fragile. Her dark hair tangled around her shoulders, her dress wrinkled from sleep.

"Out," I told her. My voice came out rougher than I intended.

She didn't hesitate. Dropped a clumsy bow and fled through the tent flap.

Kade watched her go, then turned to me. His expression was carefully neutral, but I could see the questions in his eyes.

"Good morning, my lord."

"Morning." I ran a hand through my hair. It felt damp with sweat. "What time is it?"

Kade's lips twitched. "It's afternoon, Xior. Almost evening, actually."

The words didn't make sense. I stared at him. "What?"

"You've been asleep for nearly eighteen hours."

The tent spun. I gripped the edge of the bed to steady myself. Eighteen hours. That was impossible. I hadn't slept more than two hours at a time since I was eight years old. Even with healers' potions and meditation techniques, the nightmares always came. Always dragged me back to that night.

But last night, there had been no nightmares.

I remembered climbing into bed. Pulling Aradia against me. Her scent filling my lungs, sweet and clean like rain on summer grass. The way her hair felt soft against my face.

And then nothing. Just deep, dreamless black.

"I don't understand," I said.

Kade moved closer, his warrior's eyes scanning me like I might shatter. "How do you feel?"

"I feel..." I searched for the word. "Rested."

It sounded absurd saying it out loud. But it was true. My mind felt sharp. My body loose and relaxed. The constant ache behind my eyes was gone.

Kade nodded slowly. "That girl. Aradia. She's not normal."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you haven't slept properly in seventeen years. You buy a random human at market, hold her for a few hours, and suddenly you're sleeping like a newborn pup." He crossed his arms. "That's not coincidence, Xior. That's something else."

I thought back to the moment I'd leaned close to smell her hair. The way her scent had hit me like a drug, making my head spin. My wolf had stirred, purring with satisfaction. I'd felt dizzy, almost drunk.

So I'd asked her to lie on the bed. Told myself I just wanted her close for a moment. Just wanted to see if holding her would quiet the constant noise in my head.

I never expected to actually fall asleep.

And I certainly never expected to sleep through the entire day.

"When I smelled her," I said slowly, "I felt dizzy. My wolf went quiet. So I asked her to stay on the bed, thinking maybe having her near would help me rest for an hour or two." I looked at Kade. "I didn't think I'd sleep this long."

Kade's frown deepened. "This isn't natural. Humans don't have this kind of effect on wolves. Unless..." He trailed off, his eyes widening slightly.

"Unless what?"

"We need to get to the capital. Now." He moved toward the tent entrance. "We need to consult the Moon Goddess's priestess. She's the only one who can explain this."

My stomach tightened. The priestess. The old woman who lived in the temple at the heart of the capital, speaking prophecies and reading signs in the moon's phases. I'd avoided her for years. Her knowing eyes. Her cryptic words. She spoke in riddles and confusing words.

But Kade was right. This wasn't normal. And if there was anyone who could tell us what Aradia was, what she'd done to me, it would be her.

"How long to reach the capital?" I asked.

"Three days if we push hard." Kade paused at the entrance. "Should I tell the girl?"

I thought about Aradia standing outside, probably terrified. She'd been expecting me to use her last night. Instead, I'd fallen asleep holding her like she was something precious.

She must think I'd lost my mind.

Maybe I had.

"No," I said. "Don't tell her anything yet. Just make sure she's fed and has clean clothes. We leave at nightfall."

Kade nodded and left.

I sat alone in the tent, my hand pressed against my chest. My heart beat steady and strong. No racing pulse. No cold sweat. No shadows lurking at the edges of my vision.

For the first time in seventeen years, I felt almost human.

And it terrified me.

Because if Aradia was the reason I could finally sleep, what would happen if I lost her? What would happen when whatever magic she held over me faded?

I'd spent years learning to function without rest. Built my strength on exhaustion and willpower. Became the alpha my pack needed despite the nightmares that haunted every moment.

But now I'd tasted real sleep. Deep and healing. And I knew with absolute certainty that I couldn't go back.

Which meant I couldn't let her go.

Outside, I heard Aradia's soft voice asking someone for water. Such a small sound. Such a fragile thing.

And yet somehow, she'd done what dozens of healers couldn't.

I needed answers. Needed to know what she was and why she affected me this way.

The priestess would know.

She always knew.