Julian walks in with books, scanning the room. He sees me, starts over, then stops the same way the others did. Processing. Then he continues, sets his books on our table, sits beside me with careful precision.
"Your scent has changed."
"Yes."
"Calder."
"Yes."
He's quiet for a long moment, pale eyes studying me.
"Scent shift indicates successful pair bonding initiation. The sweetness suggests positive emotional association. Theintegration is... harmonious." His fingers tap against his knee. "May I?" he asks suddenly.
I furrow my brow. "May you what?"
"Scent you properly. For... data."
"Data?" I glance at Calder who shrugs. "Okay."
Julian leans in, breathes deeply at my neck, and goes very still. When he pulls back, his pale eyes are darker. "Not just data."
"No?" I half-smile.
"No." He looks away briefly. "I'm not good at this."
"What do you feel, Julian?" I ask.
Long pause. His pale eyes meet mine directly. "Want." He breathes deeply. "I want you, but I'm not ready yet. And you're still processing this." He stands abruptly. "I can wait."
"Thank you for being honest."
"I don't know how to be anything else with you." He gathers his books, nods to us, and leaves.
Calder exhales slowly. "He'll come around. On his timeline."
"I know. It’s okay, I get it."
"I should go," Calder says. "Workshop in fifteen minutes."
He stands, then pauses. Cups my face briefly, rests his forehead against mine for three heartbeats.
“Wow.” Tyler makes his eyebrows dance. “Quite possibly the most intense breakfast meeting I’ve ever had. Do you think they even realized they didn’t eat?”
I laugh. “You’re obsessed with food.”
“I’m obsessed with you.”
Classes pass in a blur of half-attention. I’m no longer anxious, I realize with sudden clarity, I simply want to spend time with them.
Olivia finds me in the quad between classes. She sits beside me on the bench and produces Mira’s tin from her bag with a smile. “I’ve been meaning to return this to you, but we never seem to cross paths.”
“Thank you.” I study her closely. Her eyes are bright; her red hair is pulled into a messy bun that looks effortlessly stylish in a way I never learned to do. She looks… well. “How are you feeling?”
I’d completely forgotten Gideon’s request to find out about Olivia’s heat. Too much has happened. I’m not the same person I was when I met him in town, but the situation hasn’t gone away simply because my life is changing.
“Good.” She shrugs and her expression folds. “I heard about the omega at Thornwood. It makes me wonder if I got lucky.” Tears well in her eyes. “James said I shouldn’t dwell on it. I didn’t get lucky, I got better.”
I smile. “Perhaps he’s right.”
