Korran’s entire body went rigid, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth. For a moment, she thought he might deflect or change the subject entirely.
“I don’t know why they aren’t more accepting,” he said finally. “The prejudice against the human-shifter bond between my parents has never faded. I’ve felt it my whole life, being the only half-human, half-shifter in the clan. It’s been... difficult.”
The honesty in his admission made her chest tighten with sympathy.
“I’ve tried to deny that human side of myself, even though my mother has always pushed me to embrace it more. But the clan values strength above all else, and they see human traits as weakness.”
The wine had loosened her tongue, and indignation flared hot in her chest. “Humans aren’t weak. Your mother should be proof enough of that—she’s holding herself together beautifully despite your father’s illness. That takes incredible strength.”
Korran stared at her as if seeing something for the first time. “You’re right. My mother is one of the strongest people I know. She’s endured decades of prejudice but still chooses to lead this clan with grace and integrity.” He paused, something shifting in his expression. “Maybe I shouldn’t let the clan dictate my beliefs so much. But it’s hard when that’s all you’ve known your whole life.”
The vulnerability in his voice, combined with the wine warming her system, made Tess want to reach across the table and touch his hand. The urge was so strong she had to grip her wine glass tighter to keep her hands to herself.
Korran must have noticed how much wine she’d drank. “Why don’t we get you some fresh air and head back to the estate? It’s been a long few days.”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak as he stood and moved around the table to help her with her coat. When he finally guided her out of the restaurant, past the curious stares of other diners, she found herself not caring about their judgment anymore.
Their loss,she thought defiantly when Korran helped her into the SUV.
The ride to the estate passed in charged silence, the air thick with unspoken possibilities and the lingering effects of Sidaii wine making everything feel more intense than it should have been.
She blinked, feeling more grounded as Korran’s SUV crunched to a stop on the circular drive, snow crystals glittering under the estate’s exterior lights like scattered diamonds. When Korran appeared at her door, she found herself momentarily transfixed by the way the golden light played across his strong features. His dark eyes held an intensity that made her pulse spike, and when his large hand extended toward her, she felt that now-familiar electric jolt shoot up her arm at the contact.
“Careful,” he murmured, his deep voice sending warmth spiraling through her as he steadied her on the snow-dusted stone steps.
His hand settled at the small of her back as they climbed toward the grand entrance, the heat of his palm burning through the fabric of her coat. The gesture felt protective, possessive even, and Tess found herself leaning into his solid presence.
The massive front doors swung open under Korran’s touch, and the estate’s warmth enveloped them like a welcoming embrace. Korran’s fingers soon found the buttons of her coat, and Tess’s breath caught as he slowly helped her out of it, his knuckles brushing against her collarbone in the process. The air between them seemed to thicken.
“Let me help you to your room,” he said, his deep voice rougher than before.
Tess opened her mouth to argue—she was perfectly capable of finding her own way—but the traitorous part of her that had been awakening since their first handshake wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped in his intoxicating scent.
“Thank you,” she said weakly, her feet following him toward the grand staircase.
The marble steps seemed endless as they climbed together, his presence beside her both comforting and dangerously distracting. When they finally reached her suite, Korran paused outside the door, turning to face her with an expression that made her heart skip several beats.
“I had a good time with you tonight,” he said, his voice dropping to that low rumble that seemed to resonate in her bones.
His eyes darkened as heat flooded her cheeks, and Tess felt something inside her snap. Whether it was the Sidaii wine coursing through her veins, or his intoxicating scent that seemed to wrap around her like silk, or simply the fact that something had been building between them since that first electric handshake—she couldn’t say. All she knew was that suddenly, rationality fled completely.
Before she could second-guess herself, Tess stepped closer and pressed her palms against the solid wall of his chest. His muscles were like carved granite beneath her touch, warm andimpossibly strong, and when she tilted her face up to his, she saw his pupils dilate with hunger that matched her own.
The kiss started tentative, a soft brush of lips that sent shockwaves through her entire system. But the moment Korran’s arms came around her, pulling her against his massive frame, something desperate and wild ignited between them. His mouth claimed hers with a dominance that should have alarmed her but instead made her melt against him completely.
Tess soon found herself pressed back against her suite door, Korran’s body caging her in as his hands tangled in her hair. The kiss turned hungry and she could taste the wine on his lips mixed with something uniquely him that made her head spin. Her rational mind whispered warnings about professional boundaries and the complications this would create, but her body had taken complete control.
This is dangerous,she thought dimly as his mouth moved against hers, sending fire racing through her veins.This could lead somewhere I’m not prepared to go.
TEN
KORRAN
Korran’s world narrowed to the taste of Tess’s mouth and the feel of her body pressed between him and the solid wood of her suite door. His hands were buried in the silk of her hair, and every rational argument he’d clung to for decades crumbled to dust.
She’s human. The bond could destroy you. Look at your father.
His bear roared back, a visceral force that vibrated through his bones.
