Zeke POV
I sit across from her in the cramped cabin, a bottle of alcohol and cloth in my hand. The flickering light casts a warm glow over her, illuminating every curve of her face as she perches on the edge of the bed, her leg propped up, vulnerable and defiant all at once. She’s watching me with a cautious curiosity, her expression unreadable.
I pour a measure of alcohol onto the cloth, and the sharp scent fills the air, mixing with her sweet scent that stirs something dangerous in me. I press the cloth to her calf, and her reaction is instant—she sucks in a sharp breath, teeth clenched, and her fingers curl into the bedspread.
“Easy, Stray,” I murmur, the words slipping out rougher than I intend, laced with an edge I can’t quite suppress. Her gaze lifts, locking onto mine, and for a
