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Knowing Concordant was physically so close made his hands tremble. Static flooded his veins, unable to escape, leaving him on edge and ready to snap.

Daven didn’t seem much better himself. He’d finished his plate a while ago and sat wide-legged with his arms crossed behind his head, staring outside.

What would he have felt when Milanov stopped time?

Had Milanov ever done it before? Had he ever stopped time around Ryneth?

“I’m going to take a shower,” he announced, making his way inside the apartment before Daven could object.

The heated stones caressed his bare feet as he undressed. He opened the tap, deciding at the last minute to take a bath.

A bath.

The definition of wealth.

All this hot water to himself.

With a groan, he lowered himself into the bubbles and heat. Daven’s scent enveloped him as he sank into the bath. Rainforest fresh—something he’d never experienced before he’d met the other man.

The one who had somehow lodged himself beneath his skin.

Ryneth closed his eyes and leaned back against the tiles, letting his toes play with the soap.

Once the first comfort of the hot water faded, his thoughts came back one by one.

Concordant was back.

No. Concordant had never left.

Düren had followed him onto that shuttle, into the cage, into Helion.

He’d gone from one set of hands to another so fast he barely knew where one nightmare had ended and the next had begun.

The buyer. The auction. The way everyone kept deciding what happened to him next.

And now, just when he had finally started to breathe again, they were here. Close enough to touch.

His chest tightened.

Every time he started to let himself settle into Daven, something dragged him back to this. To fear. To that old certainty that safety could be taken from him faster than he could hold onto it.

That was the part that hurt. Not the bond. Not even the wanting.

The way he still didn’t know if any of it could last.

Hot tears spilled before he could stop them. He wiped them away hard, furious with himself.

“Stop it, you fool,” he hissed. “What did you want? To be fucking sold?”

But even that didn’t help.

There was a loud knock on the door. Then⁠—

“Aethera, are you in here?”

“Leave me alone,” Ryneth snapped, swiping another hand over his face.

“I’m coming in.”