I thought I felt him pull darkness around us like a living cloak.
And instead of fear—relief hit me.
Because the darkness around Sten never felt cold.
It felt safe.
Like hiding beneath heavy blankets during thunderstorms.
Like belonging somewhere hidden from the rest of the world.
By the time we reached his quarters I was trembling so hard I could barely breathe properly.
The ache between my thighs had become unbearable.
Need pulsed through my bloodstream in hot violent waves while magic crackled wildly around my fingertips.
I didn’t understand what was happening to me.
Only that every instinct screamed for him.
Sten laid me down on his bed carefully.
Then he followed me immediately.
His mouth crashed against mine hard enough to steal the breath from my lungs.
And gods—relief.
Immediate overwhelming relief.
The burning inside me softened the second he kissed me.
Like my body recognized him as the cure to something ancient and starving.
I moaned helplessly into his mouth.
This.
This felt right.
Not logical.
Not sane.
Just right.
I reached for him desperately, needing him closer.
Need stronger than embarrassment.
Stronger than fear.
But Sten caught himself above me instead, massive body hovering over mine while his breathing turned rough and uneven.
Beautiful.
Gods.
