Her eyes lift to mine immediately, wary and curious all at once. “Where?”
I step toward her before I think better of it, and the bond reacts instantly. Something tightens low in my chest as I close the distance between us, awareness sharpening until the rest of the clearing starts to blur at the edges. The fire crackles somewhere off to our left. Wind moves through the trees overhead. But none of it matters as much as the fact that Charlotte stands perfectly still when I reach for her.
My fingers slide carefully into her hair near her temple, searching through blonde strands until I find the first pine needle caught there. The backs of my knuckles brush her cheek. Heat rolls through me so fast it almost feels violent, and for one suspended second I forget entirely what I’m doing. My attention locks onto the feel of her under my hand, the coolness of her skin, the way her eyes stay fixed on mine with that sharp, uncertain focus that’s been getting harder and harder to ignore every hour we spend together.
I slowly pull the first needle free.
Neither of us moves.
The second one sits farther back in her hair. I step in closer to reach it, my other hand settling lightly against her shoulder to steady her while my fingers slide through silk-soft strands again.
Now there’s barely any space left between us.
The scent of her wraps around me completely at this distance, vampire hunger tangled with the smell of pine, cold air, and something underneath both that my wolf reacts to immediately.
Mine.
The thought hits hard enough to tighten every muscle in my body.
Charlotte’s gaze drops to my mouth while my pulse kicks brutally against my ribs.
The clearing narrows around us until it feels like there’s nothing left in the world except her standing in front of me wearing my clothes, looking at me as if she’s trying to figure out whether this thing between us is dangerous or inevitable.
Probably both.
My thumb shifts against her shoulder. It’s a tiny movement, barely anything, but Charlotte’s breath catches anyway. Her lips part on a soft inhale she doesn’t need, and the bond snaps tight between us hard enough to light my entire chest on fire. My wolf surges forward instantly, possessive and starving for more of her.
More touch.
More closeness.
Just…more.
I step in without meaning to.
She doesn’t step back.
Now she’s right there, close enough that I can feel the cold of her skin beneath my hand, unnatural and sharp against my heat. Close enough that her gaze drops to my mouth again, lingering this time, heavy and hungry in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with blood.
And fuck, the way she’s looking at me nearly knocks the air out of my lungs. Like she wants to climb inside me, and devour me whole.
Fireworks crack through my body so hard it almost hurts.
My hand tightens on her shoulder instinctively, pulling her a fraction closer, and her body sways toward mine like she can’t help it either. Like something between us already knowsexactlywhere it wants to end up.
Charlotte’s fangs slide down slowly. For one dangerous second, I don’t think it’s because of hunger.
Then suddenly, a deer crashes through the trees behind us.
The scent hits a split second later.
Fresh blood.
Living heartbeat.
Prey.
Charlotte jerks hard toward the sound immediately, instinct overtaking everything else in a violent rush.
