KAIA’S POV
Leander’s wolf form towered over me, so close that I could feel every bit of him. His scent wrapped around me before I even realized I was leaning forward toward it.
Somewhere far away, I could still hear Athena's voice. “Go on, child.”
I didn’t bother to overthink it. I just lifted my hand.
Every instinct in my body screamed that it was stupid to touch a wolf this size—especially one who’d just been feral enough to require an entire armed watch. But the power pulling me toward him left no room for hesitation.
My fingertips brushed against the thick fur along his neck.
Heat, that was the first thing I felt.
Not the wild, searing heat of danger, but something deep, like the warmth of a fire that had been burning all night.
The second thing was the stillness.
One moment,
