Her breathing stops.Just stops.
The silence that follows is thick enough to choke on.For a moment, I think she’ll say no immediately, allowing her panic, fear, all of it strangling the fragile calm she’s built here.
But instead, she whispers, “I don’t know.”
“Then we’ll try it slowly,” I say.“You don’t have to go far.Just a few steps out the door.”
She bites her bottom lip.“Is it safe?”
“With me?”My voice deepens, something primal threading through the words.“Always.”
Her pulse quickens.She tries to hide it, but I hear it, my dire wolf hears it, and heat punches through me.Slow.Go slow.
She hugs her knees tighter.“What if I panic?”
“Then I’ll be right beside you.”
“What if I run?”
“I’ll catch you gently.”
“What if I can’t breathe?”
“Then I’ll breathe with you.”
Her eyes glisten.“Silas...”
“It’s okay,” I murmur.“You lead.I follow.”
My dire wolf rumbles approval inside me.
Aria looks back at the window, long and slow, like she’s weighing the world outside against the cage inside her head.Then she nods, tiny and trembling, but brave.
“Okay,” she whispers.“Let’s try.”
I open the door carefully, stepping out first.Not blocking her.Not crowding.Just standing as a barrier between her and anything harmful.The sunlight spills into the room like liquid gold.
Aria freezes at the threshold.
The scent of forest drifts in—pine, earth, and wet moss.A spring breeze brushes her hair, lifting the dark strands gently.Her leopard pushes so hard under her skin I can see it from here.
Her breathing stutters.
“You’re safe,” I say softly.
She steps forward.One foot over the threshold.Her entire body shudders.Fear, memory, and instinct, all tangled messily together.But she doesn’t pull back.
I step aside, giving her space to feel the open air without me overshadowing her.She moves by inches until she’s fully outside.When sunlight hits her skin, her knees almost buckle.
I’m at her side in a heartbeat.“Easy,” I murmur.“Breathe.”
She leans forward slightly, hands gripping her own arms.I can see her struggling, her mind screaming danger, while her body is craving freedom.The wind brushes her again but this time her reaction is different.
Her lips part.Her shoulders loosen.Her fingers twitch.Her eyes close as the forest scent washes over her.And then, her leopard roars inside her.
Not loud.Not even audible.But I feel it in my soul.A surge of energy.Raw.Ripping.Desperate.My dire wolf lunges inside me in response.
“Aria,” I whisper, my own control slipping.“Look at me.”
