“Casteel—”
“Shut up,” Kieran growled at him, then glanced at me. “Did she get enough blood when she fed?”
Reaver groaned. “It’s like no one is listening to me.”
I shook my head.
Kieran stepped closer to me, his voice lowering. “Do you think it will help if she does?”
Yes.
That’s what I wanted to say as I shifted my stare back to Poppy.
That’s all I wanted this to be.
So did Kieran because I could hear the hope in his voice—could feel it.
But the damn draken was right. I was smarter than that. And so was Kieran. Ignoring what was happening in front of us would not only make us fools but also endanger Poppy.
I shook my head.
“Reaver could be wrong,” he argued. “She may just need blood.”
Reaver growled. “I thought you were supposed to be the more rational one.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Kieran snarled as my gaze sharpened on him. “Or I will shut you up.”
The warning bells were ringing even louder now. “He’s right.”
Kieran’s head cut to me. “What?”
“Youarethe more rational one.”
He scowled, turning his attention back to Poppy. “All I’m saying is that there is no way for any of us to know what is going on. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions based on…vibes.”
“Vibes?” muttered Reaver.
Kieran ignored him. “We should be operating on what we know about an Ascension. What is needed. Blood.” He shifted, exhaling raggedly as a tart and sour taste gathered in my throat. “That’s being rational.”
The ability to taste emotions was fresh, but I knew what I was tasting, and my wariness grew. He was uneasy—of course, he was. But it was more than that.
Those who didn’t know Kieran like I did often thought he was cold or detached, but that wasn’t the case. He felt everything just as intensely as the next person. And right now, he was worried for Poppy—for us.
But thanks to the Joining, he was picking up the same things from Poppy that I was. And while I had been—as Reaver had put it—a lovesick fool, Kieran had never been that. Between the two of us, he wasalwaysfar more rational than I was. He wasalwaysthe first to face the reality of a situation, no matter what emotions he felt. Sure, he felt hope, just like any of us did. Like with Elashya, the wolven he’d loved and lost. He’d hoped she could be cured somehow, but he’d faced the reality of the impossibility.
And when shit got real, it was always Kieran who kept a level head—who quickly assessed the situation for what it was and then acted on it. He didn’t waste time on desperate hope.
But he was now.
My gaze dipped. His hands no longer trembled, but they opened and closed rhythmically. And that wasn’t the only thing I noticed. His skin had thinned just enough for me to see tiny strands of fawn-colored fur breaking through. That was a sign he was about to lose his shit—something else that had happened only enough times for me to count on one hand.
I glanced at Poppy. She hadn’t moved an inch. My attention shifted back to Kieran. I could feel his heart racing.
“Kieran?” I waited until his gaze met mine. “Why are you here?”
He stared at me for a moment. “What kind of fucking question is that?”
I wet my lower lip. “I know you.”
