The first pale streak of gray dawn cut through the splintered glass of the storm cabin window, casting long, fractured shadows across the dusty floorboards. The relentless mountain rain had finally dwindled to a soft, persistent mist. Inside the cabin, the air was still frigid, but the wild, dangerous fever that had gripped Ethan through the night had broken, leaving him breathing in slow, deep, even rhythms. He was still fast asleep, his head resting against Emma’s shoulder, his arms wrapped securely around her waist as if anchoring himself to her in a storm. Emma hadn't slept a wink. Her limbs were stiff and aching from the hard floor and the bone-deep chill, but she hadn't moved an inch, unwilling to disturb him. She stared down at his sleeping face, tracing the sharp, unyielding line of his jaw and the faint shadows beneath his eyes. The vulnerability of the night before was gone, replaced once again by the quiet, heavy mask of the man who commanded empires. Suddenly, the eerie
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