Something in that defiance caught him more deeply than attraction alone.
That realization frightened him far more than the kiss.
Dax had not wanted anyone this way in more than a century. He had been a warrior, a brother, and a killer for so long that he had stopped considering whether anything more remained.
Veya had begun forcing him to wonder.
Rhen should have been handling the consequences of the maker tether he had created. He should have monitored her, fed her when the stored blood failed, and ensured the useful asset he had dragged into the stronghold did not destroy herself during transition.
Instead, Rhen had performed the minimum intervention necessary to keep her alive before walking away.
Dax remained.
He moved from the chair when Veya whispered something he could not understand. A deeper shudder passed through her, tightening her features even while she slept.
The heat was rising again.
Dax placed the back of his fingers against her forehead. Her skin had become unnaturally hot, and her eyelids fluttered without fully opening.
He could call Rhen and force another direct feeding, although getting his brother into the room would require an argument Veya should not have to hear. The alternative was medical sedation, which might interrupt the episode long enough for her body to settle.
Dax leaned closer without touching her again.
“Veya, can you hear me?”
Her eyes opened slightly.
“The heat is coming back,” he said. “I want to call the medical team and have them sedate you until we understand what is happening. Is that all right?”
Her gaze struggled to focus on him.
“Will it stop?”
“For a while. I cannot promise more than that.”
Veya gave a weak nod.
Dax straightened and called the compound’s medical staff.
“This is Dax. I need assistance in the eastern guest suite. A newly turned female is experiencing another severe tether reaction, and she has consented to sedation.”
He listened long enough to receive confirmation before ending the call.
The door opened hard enough to strike the wall.
Cole filled the threshold, his attention moving immediately from Dax to the woman trembling beneath the blanket.
He drew one slow breath and went still.
The room carried Dax’s scent alongside Veya’s arousal and the darker trace of Rhen’s blood.
“Do not start,” Dax warned.
Cole looked at Veya before turning his attention back to his brother.
“What happened?”
“She kissed me.”
