21. Morning After

|| Lilac's POV || The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the pounding in my head. It felt like a pack of wolves had decided to throw a rave inside my skull, complete with strobe lights and a bass-heavy soundtrack. Every dull throb was a reminder that last night had been a very bad idea. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to block out the cruel assault of sunlight sneaking through the cracks in the curtains. The second thing I noticed was the warmth. Not the cozy, blanket-wrapped kind of warmth, but the solid, muscular, very much alive kind. An arm, a very male, very strong arm, was draped over my waist, holding me in place as if I belonged there. My heart stuttered. A slow, steady breath tickled the back of my neck, and the familiar scent of pinewoods filled my senses, rich and intoxicating. My stomach did an uncomfortable flip. Oh. No. My eyes flew open, and I froze. Alaric. He was still asleep, his face relaxed in a way I had never seen before. The usual sharpness in