"You're not trying to control me," she says quietly. “But protect me. There's a difference. And I appreciate that more than you probably realize."
"Sometimes my alpha brain just sees you and wants to wrap you up and keep you safe," I admit, stepping closer. "Make sure everyone in this town knows you're ours."
"Ours," she repeats softly.
"Mine. But also Pine's and Jett's because we're pack. The kind that means I'm going to protect you and care about you and want you to be happy."
She laughs, and it's real. Not nervous or uncertain.
"You're dangerous."
"Only if you want me to be."
I reach out and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering on the soft skin of her cheek. She leans into the touch, and that small gesture tells me everything I need to know.
"Cassian."
My name on her lips sounds like a prayer.
"Tell me to stop if this is too much," I say, already moving closer. The distance between us narrowing with every heartbeat.
"Don't stop."
I kiss her, and it's nothing like the kiss from before. This one is patient and thorough and designed to make her understand exactly how much I want her. My hand finds her waist, pulling her closer, and she meets me halfway.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, kissing me back with matching intensity. Her mouth is soft and warm, tasting like coffee and cinnamon and something sweet that's just Sharon. My scent shifts, becoming more pronounced. Cedar and leather and something darker that's pure alpha arousal mixed with genuine affection.
She pulls back just enough to breathe, pupils blown wide. Her scent has changed too. Strawberry and honey mixing with something deeper that smells like desire and want.
"We should probably talk about this," she says, but she doesn't pull away. Her hands are still in my hair, body still pressed against mine.
"We can talk. But I want to kiss you again.”
I kiss her again, slower this time, letting her set the pace even though every part of me wants to rush forward. My hand slides up her back, feeling the soft fabric of her sweater, the warmth of her skin underneath. She's pressed against me now, her body fitting against mine perfectly.
My other hand finds her face, cupping her jaw so I can kiss her exactly how I want to. Deeper. More intensely. The kind that leaves no question about how much I want her. How much she matters.
She makes a small sound against my mouth, a soft moan that goes straight through me. I feel it everywhere. In my chest where my heart is racing. In my stomach. Between my legs where my body is responding in ways that are becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
I pull back, resting my forehead against hers. We're both breathing hard, our breath making small clouds in the cold air.
"You're incredible," I say quietly.
"We should probably go back," she says, but her arms are still around my neck. "Before we do something we're not ready for."
"Do you want to go back?"
"No," she admits. "I want to know if what I'm feeling right now is real."
"What you're feeling is real," I say with absolute certainty.
She laughs softly. "You're funny. And charming. And dangerous. And I like it more than I probably should."
"I like you so much," I say, and the confession comes out easier than I expected. "So much that I'm here at an overlook in the middle of the night just because I didn't want you to be alone."
Her hands slide under my jacket and shirt, skin warm against mine. I'm burning up from the inside out, torn between the cold of the mountain air and the heat of her body. She's touching my chest, feeling my heartbeat, understanding what she's doing to me.
Her fingers trail across my abs, exploring, and I have to stop kissing her for a moment just to breathe. Just to remember that we said we were going to be responsible.
