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It’s no effort at all to jump up and grip the edge of the roof, then swing myself onto the shingles, which are thankfully rough enough that my boots don’t slip.

I maneuver up the gentle slope, then crouch in front of the window, peering inside.

My shifter sight kicks in, allowing me to see the outline of Alina’s body sprawled across the mattress on the other side of the room. She’s a restless sleeper, having kicked the duvet and sheets halfway off the bed. Her perfect skin is covered in a scrap of silk that barely passes for a nightgown, and suddenly the front of my jeans are uncomfortably tight.

And her scent…

I breathe in deeply, going lightheaded with desire at the same time that I feel a little ridiculous for being such an unashamed voyeur. I should snap out of it and walk away, but I can’t seem to drag my gaze away.

She thrashes in her sleep, twisting onto her stomach. The curve of her pale thigh catches the moonlight, and the hem of her nightgown is so dangerously close to exposing her bare bottom. I stumble slightly, clutching the edge of the window to balance myself, but it causes my knuckles to knock against the glass.

I freeze, holding my breath.

This is the part where I’m supposed to remember that I’m a human before I’m a wolf. I’m an adult man living in a society where peeping through someone’s window is definitely frowned upon, even if the scent of her arousal beckoned me like a siren song.

Before I can recalibrate my mind and recall how normal people are supposed to act, Alina lets out a sharp gasp and bolts upright in bed.

As if she knew that I was here, even while unconscious, her gaze locks with mine across the dark expanse of her bedroom.

Really, she should probably be screaming. Or at least hollering expletives. Reaching for her phone to call the cops. Preparing to throw her bedside lamp at my head.

But there is a bond between us that takes only a few seconds to inform her that it’s me, not an intruder.

I watch through the glass as Alina hurls herself out of bed and stumbles toward the window. In one smooth motion, she hauls it open.

Up close, I can see how pink her cheeks are, can sense how feverish her skin is. Not to mention, with her suddenly so close, it’s like I’m drowning in her scent.

“Rowan?” Her voice is hoarse.

She blinks blearily at me, but she doesn’t look horrified that I’m kneeling on the roof of her porch right outside her window in the middle of the night. She doesn’t even look annoyed.

“You…” I clear my throat, trying to remember how to form completely sentences. “Your scent.”

Alina bites her lip, squeezes her thighs together. I bite back a moan.

“I was dreaming.”

“Dreaming.”

“About you.”

This time, I can’t stop the quiet groan that slips out of me. Rightnow, we’re both animals. Too caught up in the shadows to be anything other than ravenous and primal.

Alina moves closer, leaning against the windowsill. A cool breeze ruffles her hair, and her eyes flutter shut. I reach out and brush her golden hair off her bare shoulder. Her breath catches. Her scent shifts into something deeper. Insistent.

“Alina.” I’m barely in control right now. “I need you to tell me what you want.”

Her lips part in something like awe. “What I want?”

“Do you want me to go away? Do you want me to slip back into the night and let you go back to sleep? Or is there something else you want from me right now? Because, whatever it is, I’ll give it to you.”

To my utter shock, she doesn’t hesitate. “I want you to touch me, Rowan.”

That’s all I need to hear.

I reach for her through the open window, wrapping an arm around her waist and protecting her head with my other hand as I tug her out onto the roof. She lets out a squeak of surprise as she tumbles into my arms, but I’m quick to rearrange us into a reasonably comfortable position. I sit with my back against the siding and pull Alina into my lap.

She straddles my waist, hands braced on my shoulders, and stares down at me like she’s not sure if she’s still dreaming.