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I nod, exhaling shakily.

Together.

For however long that lasts.

The warmth of her body radiates against mine, and my heart stumbles over itself as she lifts a calloused hand, tucking a stray curl behind my ear.

How did I let myself get this attached?

Her fingers linger against my jaw, the barest whisper of contact, and Iacheat how careful she is with me.

I lean in first.

The kiss is soft, slower than before, but no less consuming. It deepens, her hand sliding down to my waist, pulling me into her again. I don’t realize I’m trembling until she soothes a thumb over my knuckles.

Her thumb strokes absently over my jaw, but there’s something else in her eyes now. Something sharp, assessing, as we pull back.

Roan tilts her head, studying me. “You’ve got that look in your eyes.”

I blink, swallowing around the sudden tightness in my throat. “What look?”

She doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she reaches up, fingers ghosting over my cheek, my temple, like she’s cataloging every flicker of tension in my expression. It’s infuriating how easily she reads me, how she sees through the careful control I cling to.

Then, softly, she murmurs, “You’re hungry.”

I stiffen. Shame curls up my spine. “I—” I swallow. “A bit.”

It’s a lie. Ineedto feed. My last feeding wasn’t nearly enough—animal blood never is. Now my veins hum with a hunger I’ve been ignoring since last night, the same hunger that made me flee my clan in search of a better way.

Roan’s hand moves to my waist again, pulling me close enough that I can feel the steady beat of her heart. “Then let me help,” she murmurs.

A shiver runs through me, my body betraying me even as my mind stumbles to catch up. “Help?” I echo, wary.

Her grip on my waist tightens ever so slightly. “I was going to hunt for you,” she says, voice calm, measured. “A rabbit. Something to hold you over. But this—” she tilts her chin down, her dark gaze locking onto mine “—this might work, too.”

It takes a second for the meaning to sink in.

Then my stomach plummets.

I jerk back, horror slamming into my chest as I pull away from her. “Roan, no,” I blurt. “I won’t feed on you. I—Ican’t.”

Her brows knit together. “Why not?”

I stare at her, heart hammering. “Are you serious?” My voice comes out higher than I want, thin with disbelief.

Roan doesn’t flinch. “Completely.”

Panic curls its way up my throat. I shake my head. “It’s dangerous.”

Her mouth twitches at that, not quite a smile. “You think I’m afraid of a little danger, Mouse?”

The nickname doesn’t land like it usually does, playful and teasing. Instead, it sits tight beneath my ribs, pressing down on something raw.

“This isn’t a fight in the woods, Roan,” I say, barely managing to keep my voice steady. “Or a well-placed dagger or some quick-footed maneuver. This is me sinking my teeth into you.”

Her expression doesn’t waver, not even a flicker of doubt. “I trust you.”

My stomach twists. “That’s not the point.”