“It’s not just the heat.” The words came out rough, almost angry, and Riot was as surprised as anyone to hear them from his own mouth. His throat felt raw, his voice scraping out of him like it had been dragged over gravel.
Lilac’s eyes cut to him, sharp as knives. “Riot.”
“It’s not.” He forced himself to meet Cass’s gaze—those glassy, confused, beautiful eyes that kept finding him like he was magnetic north. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his temples, his throat, his aching cock. “Whatever this is, it’s not just biology. Not for me.”
Something shifted in Cass’s expression. Hope, maybe. Or just relief at being told his feelings weren’t entirely manufactured.
“That’s a conversation for when neither of you is running on pure hormones,” Lilac said firmly. She repositioned herself more squarely between them—not that it helped. Riot could still smell Cass. and feel the pull of him like a hook in his chest. “Right now, we need to focus on getting you somewhere safe. Which means talking about why Elysian sent you here in the first place.”
Cass curled forward again, another cramp clearly hitting. A small, hurt sound escaped him, and Riot was half out of his chair before he realized he’d moved.
“Sit. Down.” Lilac’s voice cracked like a whip.
Riot sat.
“Please, Miss Lilac…I can’t—It hurts so much. Can’t he just—”
“No.” Lilac’s voice was firm but not unkind. “Not right now. Not like this.”
“Butwhy?”
“Because you’re not thinking clearly. Because he’s not thinking clearly. And because decisions made in the middle of a heat are decisions you might regret when it’s over.”
She’s wrong. He wouldn’t regret it. He wants it. He NEEDS it. I could be so good to him, could make him feel so good, could—
Lilac snapped her fingers in front of his face. “We’re going to have a very calm conversation about Elysian while everyone keeps their hands to themselves. Got it?”
Riot nodded, his teeth aching. Cass nodded too, though his eyes were already starting to drift again.
“So,” Lilac said, her voice shifting to something more businesslike. “Riot tells me you’re from Elysian Dynamics. What brought you all the way out here?”
“Recruitment.” Cass’s eyes fixed on his hands. “I’m supposed to help people find their way to trans-send-dence. But nobody wants that.”
“And if you don’t find anyone?”
Cass’s fidgeting stopped. His whole body went rigid, fear suddenly sharp in his scent.
“Cass?” Lilac’s voice gentled further. “What happens if your mission doesn’t work out?”
“I have to make it work.” His voice had gone tight, almost panicked. “I have to.”
“Why?”
“Because if I fail, they’ll—” He broke off, breathing hard, and Riot could see his pulse hammering in his throat.
Riot was out of the chair and moving closer without thinking, drawn by Cass’s distress. This close, the scent was overwhelming—sweet and needy and carrying that edge of frustrated arousal that made his mouth water—but the protective instinct was stronger right now than the want. Something in his chest was hurting at the fear in Cass’s eyes.
“They’ll what?” Riot asked, crouching in front of him despite Lilac’s warning look.
“My friend. Honey.” Cass’s hands were shaking now, his eyes filling with fresh tears. “She’s still at Elysian. If I fail, they’ll put her in the Chrysalis program.”
Lilac and Riot exchanged a look.
“What’s the Chrysalis program?” Lilac asked.
“It’s...” Cass pressed his fingers to his temples, his face scrunching with effort. “I don’t remember it very well. I went through it, but everything’s fuzzy. Like looking through old, wavy glass.” His voice dropped to barely a whisper. “I remember not being allowed to eat for a long time. And the meditations were so long I kept falling asleep and they’d wake me up and make me start over. And they gave me lots of injections that made me feel sick and dizzy and confused.”
“What else?”
