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She comes, too, with me still in her mouth. Her fifth—I’m counting—rolls through her with her thighs clamped around my ears. She slides off me with a wet pop and slumps down at my side. We lie there wrecked and spent.

I turn her around so we’re face-to-face. Her skin is slick with sweat and release.

“We’re becoming a very dangerous couple,” she says.

“I agree.” I pull her into my arms and tuck her under my chin. Her breathing slows against my neck.

Aya stirs when a ragged roar rolls in from miles away. It’s a bear, but there’s no hunt in it. It climbs high at the end and breaks off. My dragon comes awake and pushes up to listen. Her scent spikes sharp and sour against my skin.

“You hear that?” she whispers.

“I hear it,” I murmur and hug her closer.

More roars answer from deeper in bear country. I hold still and wait for the next one, but all I get is crickets.

Aya props herself up to peer at the dark window. “Should we⁠—”

“Bears handle bear business.” I pull her back down. “If they wanted outside help, we’d know it.”

She huffs at me and burrows into my chest. My dragon doesn’t buy my answer any more than she does. He paces and keeps me awake.

Fuck the end of the week. She’s not going back to her father. I carried her over the threshold. As far as I’m concerned, that made her mine for good.

I stare at the ceiling and wonder how much of Wintermoon I’m going to end up burning down over this wolf. I’d light it all up for her giggle and the stubborn tilt of her chin. She falls asleep in my arms while I’m still plotting.

I kiss the top of her head and close my eyes to listen to her heartbeat. Even my dragon quits pacing for it. I go under into the most peaceful sleep I’ve had in years.

14

AYA

Iwake up to Ezra’s hands already on me, cupping my breasts. His body curves around mine from behind with his chest hot on my back, and he’s hard against my ass. His scent is all over me from last night. My wolf stirs and wants more of him.

I yawn and snuggle deeper. “Good morning.”

“You are a siren.” His lips graze my ear. “The way you call to me. It’s like a song I can’t break from.”

I swallow a giggle. I’m keeping that one to tease him with later. My dragon wakes up reciting poetry, and the worst part is I like it.

I grab his thigh and squeeze. “Last night was incredible.”

He grinds his hips into me slow. “Mm-hmm.”

I turn onto my back. He props himself over me. He won’t quit running his hands over my belly. You’d think he didn’t get enough of me last night.

He kisses the corner of my mouth. “I pray to Mother Fate that your heat cycle starts tonight.”

When I burst out laughing, he scrunches up his face. “What?” He nuzzles my jaw. “I’m not going to make it.”

He’s dead serious. I crack up again and clutch my belly with tears in my eyes.

He pouts at me through all of it and runs his hand along my hip. “How about I take you to the construction site on campus? Show you where we’re building the new planetarium?”

I stroke his cheek. “Take a shower with me?”

He pecks my lips and pulls me out of bed by the hand. We wash up at the double sink with steam fogging up the glass.

He goes to the linen closet for towels and washcloths. By the time he turns around, I’ve already got my nightgown off. He freezes with his arms full. I spent hours naked in his bed, and he’s still looking at me like that. He drops everything on the counter and strips. Under the hot water, he hauls me flush against his body with the spray drumming on my shoulders. He kisses me until I can’t think straight.