River POV
"We can't leave her," Max growled in my head. I leaned against the railing just outside her room, feeling the rough wood against my back.
My thoughts were consumed by her, and I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to kiss her. The temptation was almost overpowering, fueled by my primal instincts as a wolf. The desire to claim her, to leave my mark on her, burned within me, matching Max's own fervor. But now was not the time.
"She would have welcomed it," Max reassured me through our bond. "She didn't push us away. She feels the connection between us, River."
I acknowledge the truth in Max's words. She felt it too, even if she didn't understand it. But revealing our true nature to her at this moment would be unwise.
Sitting down finally, I poured myself another
