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“What are you doing here?” I hissed.

He chuffed and rolled to his side without answering.

“Nyx, what are you doing?” I asked more forcefully when he didn’t answer.

“You’ve mentioned leaving every day for a week, so I was beginning to think you might sneak off in the night,” he finally murmured.

Was he serious? “So, you’ve been sleeping in my doorway?”

“Yes, Sol. And apparently, for good reason.” He glared.

“For how long?”

“A few days.”

“A few days?” Goddess, no wonder he’d been looking tired.

“Uh-huh.”

“I could have just stepped over you,” I said with a huff.

“I have been awake since you got out of bed.”

“Don’t lie. I just had to kick you in the chest to wake you up.”

“No, you had to kick me in the chest to get me to reply to you. I was feigning sleep to avoid this argument with you,” he said through a yawn. “Can we do this in the morning? We have to be up in”—he angled his head to look out the window across the hall— “two or three hours.”

“I’m not going back to bed.”

“Why are you up?” He sat up like it had just occurred to him that I’d come out of my rooms for a reason.

“It’s none of your business.” I stepped around him, not sure why I’d decided to keep it from him. Probably because he thought he was entitled to it.

“It is my business. You can’t run away.” He was on his feet, blocking my path before I could take another step.

My instincts screamed at me to back up, but I held my ground. “I’m not running away. Now, move.”

“No.” He pressed closer, forcing me to take a step to prevent our bodies from meeting.

“Back up,” I said, but my voice caught, ruining any of the indignation in my tone.

“No,” he said again, but this one sounded playful. He took another step into me.

I mirrored the movement, and my back hit the stone wall beside my door. “I’m going to the library, but it’s really none of your business.”

“Why?”

“It’s. None. Of. Your. Business.” I would not tell him I planned to look at maps to see if there was any chance of getting myself back to the compound.

“It is my business. You’re my—” He cut himself off, chest heaving.

“I’m your what?”It was barely a hesitation, but I caught it.

“You’re my ryder. It is my job to protect you.”

We were at a standoff. I didn’t want to tell him why I wanted to go to the library, and he wasn’t going to let it go. And his body heat did something to me. I needed to get out of there before I lost myself. Every second I stood there risked him knowing I was getting aroused. I loathed knowing that dragons could scent arousal. I could have been living in blissful ignorance.

I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to get a hold of myself. I would not give him the satisfaction of pressing my thighs together to ease the ache. He would know.