Before her eyes even opened, Nova felt warmth and comfort embracing her. Her thoughts were sluggish as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. She inhaled deeply, noting the odd combination of smells surrounding her. A cocktail of fresh vinegar and pine, something old and dusty, and a heavenly swirl of smoke and earth greeted her. She wasn’t in any kind of pain, but her body felt stiff like she had gone too long without moving.

  She wiggled her toes a little against the soft fabric, trying to figure out what had happened, when she realized she was listening to the soft sounds of someone breathing next to her. Cracking an eye open, she waited for her vision to adjust to the dark before finally settling on the figure beside her. Kael. The steady rise and fall of his breaths told her that he was fast asleep. His hair was disheveled, and his face looked thinner like he hadn’t been getting enough to eat. His head rested awkwardly on his arms, but one of his hands lay over the top of hers.

  Nova smiled tenderly at him. She didn’t know how long he had been there, but he obviously needed more rest. She carefully pushed the blanket down her chest, and in the process, slid her hand out from his. He didn’t even stir.

  She was growing restless now, and slowly eased herself into a sitting position, careful not to jostle the bed too much. Then, she slid down toward its foot, and hesitated a moment before sliding her legs over the side.

  A cool draft brushed against her skin, and she was suddenly very aware of how exposed she was. Heat crept up her neck, and even though Kael was still fast asleep and unaware of her current predicament, she gave him a scowl.

  Nova’s gaze flickered around the room, scanning for anything she might be able to throw on, with little success. She inched her way quietly out of the room, then turned to glance back at him. He still rested in exactly the same position, dead to the world. She sighed and carefully draped a blanket over him before making her way out and gently pulling the door shut.

  Once outside the bedroom, she surveyed her surroundings before her eyes landed on the storage room. Bingo. Nova slipped inside, and was rewarded with shelves full of linens, towels, medical supplies, water, canned goods, and weapons.

  It all smelled strangely clean to her. Nova began carefully checking through each shelf, and finally, she found what appeared to be a “go” bag with a variety of supplies in it along with a simple change of clothes. Pulling the t-shirt out, she held it up, hesitating only a moment before slipping it on over her head.

  It was too big, hanging loose around her frame, the hem brushing mid-thigh, the sleeves fell to her elbows. It fit more like a nightgown, but it was comfortable.

  His scent clung to the fabric, warm and grounding. Faintly charred, deep and earthen, like the forest after rain, like heat lingering on stone.

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  She swallowed, shaking off the feeling of desire that settled in her chest.

  She didn't know why, but it made her want to be near him constantly.

  Relaxing, her curiosity now piqued, she turned to explore the rest of her surroundings. Her bare feet moved soundlessly against the cool, smooth concrete as she turned from the shelves, slowly taking in the space around her.

  The dim golden glow of the overhead lights cast soft shadows across the steel walls. It was larger than she had expected, separated into different rooms, structured, lived-in, but not in an obvious way. There was no personal clutter, no sign of warmth beyond function, but there was still a sense of belonging.

  Her gaze landed on the table in the center of the main room.

  A glass of water sat there, untouched. A small bowl rested beside it, the faint scent of dried fruit and jerky mingling in the air, and near the edge of the table, a handful of wildflowers.

  They weren't arranged in a vase, and weren't tied together. It was just a small, simple cluster, as if he had picked them absentmindedly. Some petals were crushed, leaves wilting, the stems unevenly cut, as if he had gathered them with little thought.

  Nova's chest tightened once more.

  Kael.

  Her fingers brushed the edges of the shelves. They were clean, wiped free of dust. The whole place smelled faintly of pine and vinegar, sharp but fresh, like an attempt to scrub away the years.

  Her fingers grazed over the spines of books, their edges curled and worn. They weren't new. Some were manuals, others were novels, well-used, pages creased from being read more than once.

  A hunting knife rested beside them, its edge sharp, cleaned recently. Next to it, a compass. A folded map. The field radio sat nearby, clean and functional, its buttons free of dust, as if he had checked it just to be sure.

  Nova could tell that whatever this place was, it was significant. Something about that realization made her uneasy. She wasn’t sure that she belonged here, invading this place. Needing to breathe, she made her way toward the entrance, bare feet silent against the floor. The steel door was heavier than she expected, but the latch clicked easily beneath her fingers.

  Cold air rushed over her skin as she stepped outside, and she released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in.

  The night greeted her, vast and quiet.

  The bunker was set into the rockface, well hidden beneath the natural slope of the land. The trees stretched high above, their branches shifting faintly in the wind. The sky was open, dark and endless, stars scattered across it like distant embers.

  The scent of damp earth filled her lungs, the cool night air settling over her skin.

  She stepped forward, the ground firm beneath her feet, and for the first time since waking, she felt like she could breathe.

  The bunker had felt too enclosed, too still. Nova knew that Kael had probably meant well, bringing her here, but she wasn’t sure it was the right choice. Beneath the sky, surrounded by the quiet hum of the forest, she could feel something untangling in her chest.

  Nova exhaled, tipping her head back slightly, staring at the sky. She glanced back toward the bunker, then slipped off her shirt, before bounding off into the woods, tail disappearing among the trees.