The soft, filtered light of the morning crept through the heavy drapes of the master bedroom, casting a quiet, muted glow over the vast expanse of the bed. The chaotic, emotionally exhausting storm of the previous night had finally settled into a fragile, heavy stillness.
Malcolm stirred awake slowly, his consciousness lifting through thick layers of exhaustion. His mind felt fuzzy, his throat completely dry from the hours of hysterical weeping he had endured in the dark. For a fleeting second, he didn't remember where he was, but as his senses returned, his body instantly registered a profound, inescapable warmth wrapping completely around his torso.
He opened his eyes, blinking against the soft morning light, and his breath completely caught in his throat.
