Damian woke alone, and that, more than the headache, set his temper on edge.
His first blink was slow, pupils adjusting to the late morning light filtering through the curtains. The second blink accompanied a groan, low and rasped. The third came with the realization that the bed was cold beside him.
Gabriel was gone.
His scent lingered, lavender, metal, and something warmer now, but the man himself had vanished. So had his tablet. And his coffee.
Damian lay there for exactly four seconds before he kicked off the linen cover and attempted to rise. Bad idea. The pain came back like a tide, controlled but not forgiving. His muscles twitched, and his hand went instinctively to his arm where the injector had left its mark.
