LUCIAN'S P.O.V.
The chirping of birds roused me from the most peaceful sleep I'd had in years. For a moment, I stayed still, savoring the sounds of the forest—the rustle of leaves in the cool morning breeze, the soft gurgle of a nearby stream. Beneath me, the bed—decorated, no doubt, with my pack's annoyingly thorough sense of tradition—was surrounded by the faint floral scent of Teresa's hair and the earthy tang of the woods. the woods—
But something was… different.
A soft golden light pierced through my eyelids. I frowned. That wasn't possible. I hadn't seen light—let alone anything else—for the last eighteen months. My heart pounded as I hesitated to open my eyes fully, terrified this was some cruel trick. But curiosity won out. Slowly, cautiously, I let my lids flutter open.
And then I saw.
Everything.
