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She doesn’t move. Instead, she stomps into the bathroom cussing under her breath and slams the door.

I lower my arm to my lap and eye the water she brought me, even though I’m not thirsty.

The sink runs, then the shower turns on. On any other night my dragon would have me banging to get in. Tonight he doesn’t so much as twitch. I’m stuck here with no way to go after her. All I can do is listen to her wash up. Her bratty little attitude always makes me smile.

When she cuts the water, I hear her wrap a towel around herself. She comes out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam. Her scent drifts over warm from the shower, and my dick doesn’t care what shape the rest of me is in. She acts like I’m not even here and walks to the dresser to lotion up and put on deodorant. She pulls on her underwear and drops the towel. What does she need panties for? Her back is still to me as she finds a nightgown and tugs it on.

All I can think is that it’s better than her pulling on a pair of sweatpants. Aya comes around to her side of the bed and climbs in without a word. She yanks the covers up to her ear and rolls away. So she’s pissed.

“Aya,” I try.

“Good night, Ezra,” she says without looking back at me.

My side throbs when I stretch for the lamp. Aya’s out of bed in a blur. She clicks it off for me and grabs the pitcher.

I touch her wrist. “I’m fine, Aya. They pumped me full of fluids.”

She puts the water on the nightstand and slides back under the covers with her face turned away. This time I swallow a hiss of pain and scoot closer. I get my arm around her waist as she lies down. She stays stiff against me.

“Ezra,” she warns.

I press my nose to the back of her neck and breathe in wild berries and lotion. The knot in my chest finally loosens. “I need you now more than ever, baby.”

She rolls over and scowls. Mad or not, she is so damn beautiful.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I tell her, “but I need you to know that it had to be done.”

She sits up to argue, but I don’t give her the chance. “How does House of Zorah handle these kinds of conflicts?”

She shrugs. “We…” She stops and tries again. “My old pack doesn’t really have major conflicts. There have been a few big ones, but I was never around to see them.”

I shift toward her. “Valek challenged my position. Turning him down would have come off as cowardly.”

She purses her lips.

“Yes,” I insist. “And it would have given him permission to keep suppressing Stormscale from the clan. He cannot do that anymore now.”

She digs her nails into my arm. “You could have died, Ezra.”

“Is that why you were about to run into the middle of it again?” I stare at her until she stiffens. “I love your stubbornness. It makes me chase you, and I enjoy the hell out of it.”

She snorts. “You better be happy I’m not a bear shifter.”

I grin and wait for her to work out exactly what’s on my mind. She rolls her eyes and looks away from me first. There’s my girl.

I tip her chin up. “But you’re taking it a little too far. I love that you’re independent, and I’ll back you on anything, but not when it means you putting yourself in danger. I can’t live without you, Aya. I thought you’d understand that by now.”

She frowns. “Am I supposed to live without you?”

I tug her in close, and this time she comes to me. I kiss the top of her head. “I love you, Aya, baby. I promise you, this is the last battle I’ll have.”

She pats my cheek. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

I laugh. “You got me there.”

When Aya wraps her leg around me, I grip her thigh. It hurts, but I roll onto my back and pull her on top.

“No,” she protests.