“Standard quarters with the rest of the team. Full facility access. Free movement within Aurora territory. You’ve earned trust.”
It should feel like victory. Sanctuary secured. Freedom gained.
It feels empty.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Don’t make us regret it.”
“I won’t.”
He nods and turns away.
I scan the room. Nadia’s near the door. About to leave.
I cross the space quickly. “Nadia.”
She stops. Doesn’t turn immediately. When she does, her features are perfectly neutral. Whatever vulnerability I saw earlier is gone.
“We need to talk,” I say. Low enough that others won’t hear.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“About last night—”
“Not here.” She glances around. People nearby. Not private.
I gesture toward a side corridor. Empty offices branch off.
She hesitates. Then follows.
I lead her to an empty office. Close the door. The space is small. With both of us here, it’s tight. I can smell her stronger now—wolf and the lingering echo of arousal that makes my dragon claw at my ribs with desperate need.
She crosses her arms. Defensive. “What do you want to say?”
What do I say? That last night was the most intense thing I’ve ever experienced? That my dragon won’t stop reaching for her? That I can’t think about anything except how she felt, how she sounded, how close we came to a permanent bond?
“Last night,” I start. “What happened—”
“Isn’t important.”
The words are cold. Final.
“Not important?” I hear the edge in my voice. “We—”
“Fucked. Yes. I’m aware.” Her tone is ice. Clinical. “My wolf was in heat. She took what she wanted. It’s over now.”
Over. Like it meant nothing. Like I didn’t nearly mark her. Like we didn’t both lose control completely.
“That’s all it was?” I need to hear her say it. Need to know if I’m alone in feeling this pull.
“Heat cycles are biological. Overwhelming. They make you need things you wouldn’t normally want.” She meets my eyes. Unflinching. “The cycle ended this morning. I don’t need you anymore.”
Her words slice through me. Sharp. Precise. Designed to wound.
My dragon rages. Fire rises beneath my skin, hot enough that I’m surprised it doesn’t manifest visibly. Every instinct screams to prove her wrong. To kiss her until she admits what we both felt. To make her see—
I stop. Lock my feelings behind discipline that I learned long before she was born.
