The night breeze on the balcony was cool. The heavy glass doors sealed off the clamor and prying eyes of the banquet hall completely.
Darcy's palms pressed against Asher's cold, tense cheeks. She could feel the violent pulse of blood beneath his skin, the muscles jumping under his jaw. His dark gold pupils had contracted to razor-thin slits, his breathing ragged and harsh. The steady fir scent that usually clung to him had ignited into something volatile, wild, and chaotic, crashing against the walls of his control.
“Asher. Look at me.” Darcy held his face steady, locking her gaze onto his. “I'm here. No one gets to make a spectacle of you tonight.”
Asher stared at her, the depths of his eyes swimming with barely contained bloodlust. But the moment her voice reached him, something in th
