Michael
The cabin door shut behind us with a quiet click, sealing in the warmth of cedar smoke and letting the night press close around us. The air bit sharp and cold, clean in a way that cut straight through my lungs. I welcomed it. After the stench of battle, the forest smelled like salvation—pine sap, frost, damp earth.
Michelle walked at my side, her duffle slung across my back where I refused to let her carry it. She hadn’t argued, not really. Just rolled her eyes, lips twitching like she was fighting a smile. I’d take it.
The mate bond thrummed between us, a current I couldn’t escape. Every brush of her hand near mine sent sparks skittering across my skin. Nicolai prowled inside me, restless, tail swiping hard against the cage of my ribs.
Closer, he demanded. She should be under
