“Relax,” he murmured, voice like velvet. “It’s just a movie.” Just a movie. Just a moment. Just a line we shouldn’t cross. His fingers traced lazy circles along my skin. His gaze had changed darker now, sharper. Focused on me, not the screen. The air thickened. My pulse roared in my ears. “Cassian… I need to use the bathroom,” I lied weakly. He smiled. But it wasn’t playful. “You don’t,” he replied softly. “You just want to run.” I swallowed hard. The scene on the television only heightened the tension, soft moans echoing into the living room like an unwelcome soundtrack to a moment that had already gone too far. I shifted again panicked and my heel brushed against him. He froze. Every muscle. Every breath. Understanding hit me like a slap. Oh gods! No. My breath stuttered out of my lungs as I slowly looked up at him. His eyes weren’t their usual calm hazel anymore. They glowed bright and feral. It was his wolf. “Elara,” he said… no, growled my name, voice low and ragged with something he shouldn’t feel toward me. Fear flooded me not of him. But of this. Of us. Of what it meant. I ripped my legs away like I’d touched fire and stumbled upright. “Cassian! Stop. I… I have to go,” I stammered, heart thundering in my chest.