When I woke, I found myself wrapped in Elaine's arms, held so tightly it felt as if she thought I might disappear the moment she let go. Her long arm was locked around my waist, her body a warm wall against my back, her breath brushing the top of my head in slow, steady waves. I tried to shift away, but there was no room to move. She had me completely pinned, not with force exactly, but with a certainty that made resistance feel pointless.
"Elaine," I whispered, voice rough with sleep, "can you let go of me?" Should I even wake her up?
For a second, she didn't answer.
Then her hold tightened, not painfully, but possessively enough that I froze. Her voice came husky and low, still heavy with sleep. "Are you awake, Alexander?"
I swallowed. "Unfortunately, yes."
