Chapter144: Another Goodbye

|| Lilac's POV || The first thing I registered was the warmth. It enveloped me like a cocoon, soft and steady, a stark contrast to the chaos that had become my life. My body felt heavy, my limbs tangled in something—no, someone. Alaric. His arms were wrapped around me, his chest rising and falling in a slow, rhythmic pattern. His scent, a mix of pine and something uniquely him, filled my senses, grounding me in the moment. I groaned softly as my phone vibrated on the nightstand, the sound cutting through the quiet of the room. My hand fumbled for it, my eyes squinting against the dim light filtering through the curtains. Elara’s name flashed on the screen, and I hesitated, my heart skipping a beat. Carefully, I tried to move, to slip out of Alaric’s embrace without waking him. But his grip tightened instinctively, pulling me back against his chest with a low, dissatisfied murmur. My breath hitched, and for a moment, I let myself sink into him, savoring the feeling of his warmth, his st