The mass of the cast-iron pan, combined with a slick of olive oil on the handle, caused her grip to fail.
The pot tipped, falling towards the edge of the glass cooktop.
Sheba’s breath hitched in a hushed ‘nada,’ as the pan froze mid-drop.
It hovered for a heartbeat, suspended by an unseen force, before drifting back to the burner with a soft, controlled clink.
Sheba stared at the range, then whipped her head to stare through the window, her heart skipping.
Idan hadn’t moved a muscle, but his aura radiated a subtle frequency that shimmered in the twilight.
He didn’t even turn to face her, raising two fingers in a silent ‘you’re welcome’ salute.
‘I had it!’ she called out, though the lie fell thin.
‘You had a date with a repairman, Sheba, perhaps even a medic if that hot water spilled on you,’ he called back, his laughter rich and reverberating, blending with the evening city-song. ‘You’re welcome.’
This was just another example of how always hyper-vigilant he was around her.
He also had a streak of possessiveness that flared when other men were around.
She noticed it first at a crowded market in the Ironspire District.
A male Allorian vendor lingered a second too long on Sheba’s smile while handing her a bundle of herbs, his fingers brushing hers.
The air around Idan didn’t just chill; it turned into a vacuum. He didn’t move, yet the merchant stammered, his eyes darting to the towering, silent figure whose stare was a heated blaze.
Later, when a former colleague, Diego, spotted her near the transit hub and pulled her into a brief, friendly embrace, Sheba sensed Idan’s pulse spike through their neural link.
His cowering energy was so intense that it made her stumble over her greeting.
‘You’re giving brooding-boyfriend aura again,’ she teased as they walked away, bumping her shoulder against his. ‘He was just saying hi, Idan, you can stop clenching your jaw.’
Idan’s hand slid around her waist, as his jaw ticked.
‘I’ll have you know that I’m not insecure,nada,’ he eventually explained, when they got home. ‘It’s the Sacran way. When we claim someone, we don’t accept diluted part-measures. We’re wired to demand their entire heart; we don’t do halves, and we definitely don’t share. Our love belongs to us alone, never split, never diverted.’
He turned her to face him, his eyes boring into her own with a frightening intensity.
‘In exchange, we treasure, adore, and delight in our lovers above all others. We give you all our allegiance, all our devotion. No soul is loved more.’
His thumb traced her lower lip, a slow, deliberate claim. ‘If that devotion is thwarted, we burn with a jealousy or a rage of all-consuming fire.’
Sheba blinked, taking in the archaic solemnity of his words and blatant possessiveness.
Her perspective got rocked, feeling frivolous when compared to the gravity of his immortal, freakin’ possessive heart.
She exhaled, trying to find her footing. ‘Well, I’ve no plans to date anyone else, if that’s what you’re worried about.’
‘Keep it that way,’ he growled, the sound vibrating against her skin as he pulled her back into his space.
The following night, the couple joined the Rider family for a shared meal to celebrate Kage’s new summer tasting menu at his restaurant.
Idan, at first reluctant to go, gave in when Sheba convinced him it’d be laid-back and relaxed for both of them.
‘Besides, my friends need to get to know you a little more before you get the final sign-off as my man.’
He growled in protest but acquiesced. ‘I don’t need their approval, but if my being present is important to you,then so be it.’
