I blink—and it’s gone.
But something else isn’t.
A pull deep in my chest. A thread going taut. A click I feel rather than hear. Something ancient and certain settling into place.
Her.
I feel her heartbeat sync with mine for one impossible second. Feel her in a way that has nothing to do with bodies.
Bond.
The word rises up from somewhere instinctive. Somewhere that doesn’t need proof.
And then I’m falling too—burying myself deep, coming with a groan, her name on my lips, the bond echoing in every beat of my heart.
For a long moment, we just breathe. Tangled together, sweat-slicked and spent, the steam slowly dissipating around us.
I pull out gently, disposing of the condom before gathering her into my arms. She curls against my chest immediately, her body finally—finally—cool. The burning that’s been plaguing her for weeks is gone. Ican feel it in the way she relaxes, the way her breathing evens out, the way she melts into me like she’s never been this comfortable in her life.
“That was…” She laughs—soft, surprised, a little giddy. “I didn’t know it would be like that.”
“It can be like that every time.” I press a kiss to the top of her head. “If you let me.”
She hums, already drifting. Her fingers trace lazy patterns on my chest, and I feel her smile against my skin.
“Deal.”
Within minutes, she’s asleep.
I hold her in the dark, watching the rise and fall of her breathing, feeling the steady beat of her heart against my side.
The steam is gone. The air is still. Her body is cool in my arms for the first time in weeks.
Something changed tonight. Something finished. Or started.
I brush a strand of hair from her face.
“I’ve been waiting for you forever, Nova.” My voice is barely a whisper. “And I’m never letting you burn alone again.”
She doesn’t hear me.
That’s okay.
She will.
Chapter 39
Nova
I don’t remember the last time I woke up wanting to stay exactly where I am.
I’m warm, but it’s not the burning kind. And it’s definitely not the fever that’s been crawling under my skin for weeks. Just… warm. Safe. Kyron’s arm is still around my waist, his chest pressed against my back, and for a long moment I just lie there, letting myself feel it.
His lips brush my shoulder.
“Hey.” His voice is rough with sleep. “We have to leave for the meeting in thirty.”
I make a sound that’s not quite a word.
