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She poked gingerly at the marks, an upper and lower set of teeth that made a whole. It was already scabbed, the skin around it shiny and healing.
“Good,” she announced, taking one last look at her eyes before she went back to the bedroom.
Mikel had been doing something on his phone. He glanced up at her return. Violet watched his gaze move from her face, to the now uncovered mark, and the reaction that ricocheted visibly through him.
“Come here.” His tongue wet his lips after he spoke, and she moved to him like a moth to a flame. “Stars, Violet, you’re beautiful.”
He caught her around the thighs and tugged her back into the bed. He rolled them until he was over her, and she was laughing, breathless at the humor dancing in his eyes. He slid down to lie between her legs, caught one when she flailed and kissed the inside of her thigh. Her body stirred to life, even though she could still feel where he’d been inside her the night before.
He raised an eyebrow. “You can blame that on the moon now.”
She looked down at him. “Yes, it’s the moon making me horny and not my—” She stumbled;matewas still such a strange and awkward word for her.
Mikel cleared his throat. “Boyfriend?” he offered.
It still didn’t feel entirely right, but it was easier.
“Not this ridiculously sexy man who ravaged me in the woods last night, lounging between my legs.”
He kissed her again, and she huffed out a breath.
“It might be more the moon than you think,” he said seriously. “Do you remember last night? Drinking from the fountain?”
“The moon water?” She tried to focus on thisentire conversationthey were suddenly having, and not the tickle of his breath,there. Like he understood, he kissed her once more, then moved up to lie beside her.
“It shouldn’t have affected you, but your scent was like you were in heat.”
Violet covered her face. “Kill me.” Now that she was thinking about the fire, she remembered more pieces. The dancing, the woman, and wanting him. “Maybe you were just horny?” she tried.
“Daniella called me because she could smell you. Apparently, Natalia noticed too.” He let that hang ominously.
“That’s the chick who was dancing on me? I was out of my head thinking about the drums and you, and you know…”
His expression stayed blank.
“Mating,” she spat out. “It felt like being in a trance, and I just wanted you to be there so we could do it. I barely noticed her.”
He hummed out his acknowledgement through tight lips, avoiding her eyes. “Well, moon water shouldn’t do anything to—”
“Mikel, wait.” Violet cut him off and pressed in close. It hurt something deep in her chest that he thought she’d wanted to be with that woman, that he believed any part of her wanted someone else, when she’d spent the whole night just pining for him. “I wasn’t interested in her. You know that, right?”
He hesitated.
“I’ve never wanted or needed anyone like I needed you last night, justyou.”
“All right,” he conceded, and she saw the weight of it leave him in the way his shoulders relaxed and dipped.
“I like what we’ve got here.” The sentiment surprised her when she said it, but she did.
The little house on the edge of the forest was warm and safe to her now, and she craved his crooked smiles, lost herself some days in running around in the van or watching him build, or painting his creations. By accident, she’d somehow started to carve out a place for herself here. She’d walked the same way day by day, and without knowing it, she’d worn a path, something good.Home, her brain supplied and left her warm and hopeful and guilty.
“Hey.” His knuckle brushed her jaw. “I like it too.”
Violet released a breath and tried to smile.
“Moon makes everything more intense,” Mikel explained. “The change will too. Shouldn’t this early on, but you’re probably ahead because I don’t think you started out entirely human.”
“What?” Her brain sputtered and stalled, trying to change tracks.
