Chapter 165

Simon POV The forest had finally gone quiet again. Aisha’s breathing evened out, soft and steady against my chest, her body curled into me as though she had finally let go of the weight she had been carrying. Her hair spilled over my arm, her warmth pressed into my side, and for the first time in too many nights, she looked, peaceful. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Not when she had just given me this fragile piece of herself, not when trust still trembled like a new flame between us. So I lay there, against the rough bark and the cool earth, holding her as though my arms alone could shield her from everything that haunted her. The moon was high above the trees, pale silver dripping through the canopy. Shadows stretched long and sharp across the clearing, but none of them dared to touch her. My wolf stirred inside me, content for once, rumbling with a protective calm. She shifted slightly in her sleep, her hand fisting weakly against my shirt before loosening again. I pressed my lips to her