Maylen felt the weight of the night pressing down on her as she walked between Lanry and Aiden. Every step was heavy with unspoken words, every breath loaded with desire and danger. Lanry’s gaze was fixed on her like a predator on prey. She could feel the heat of his obsession radiating from him, an invisible tether wrapping tighter around her with every heartbeat.
Aiden’s presence was a different kind of pull. Calm, steady, almost teasing in the way he observed her. He didn’t reach for her, didn’t claim her, but the quiet strength he radiated made her want to lean into him, to feel safe and seen without the suffocating intensity of Lanry’s need.
Lanry’s hand brushed against hers again, deliberate this time, lingering just long enough to make her pulse spike. His eyes darkened. “Do you e
