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He runs his hands up and down my body. I burn everywhere he touches.

“I know you were feral,” I continue. “Well, are feral. And something tells me you’ll do it.”

Ezra doesn’t answer. He hauls me closer and buries his face in my neck. He means it, and I shiver at his hot breath on my skin.

I grab a fistful of his shirt. “Please, please, Ezra,” I beg. “You cannot kill my dad. I know he can be a bit much, but please⁠—”

He draws back. “I don’t want to hurt your father, Aya.” He looks away. “But I will fight for you.”

I stare at him. After all that running I did, my wolf picks now to remind me she was right all along. I can’t even argue with her when she’s this smug about it. “I wish I could say I’ll stop trying to be stubborn, but…”

He laughs, and I can breathe again.

He kisses me soft on the lips. “I’ll go apologize to them in the morning.”

“I will go with you,” I announce. No way is he facing my father without me.

He groans but nods. “That’s fine. And you can pack up more of your things while you’re there.”

I narrow my eyes at his comment but keep my mouth shut. My wolf doesn’t see a problem with it at all.

I turn back to the fridge. He crowds in behind me to pull the door wider and takes inventory over my shoulder.

I wave at the processed meat on the shelf. It’s sealed in plastic and doesn’t smell like anything alive. “She’s tired of this. I think I’m going to go out and take my wolf on a hunt tonight.”

Ezra’s face falls. “What?” I ask. “What is it now?”

“Nothing,” he mutters. “It’s stupid.”

I take his hand in mine and wait him out.

He sighs before he comes out with it. “After we complete the mate bond, we’re supposed to go on our first hunt together. I’m supposed to provide food for you.”

“Yeah, that was the old way,” I remind him. “My wolf is supposed to fast and⁠—”

I stop short when my wolf submits. She wants to keep the tradition too and have him be the one who feeds us.

I throw my hands up. “Well, fine, since I’m clearly outnumbered here.”

“It may not mean much to you, Aya.” He doesn’t let go of my hand. “But keeping these traditions is important to me.”

I tug free. “Okay, well, I’m supposed to be at home, and you’re supposed to come collect me from my father.”

Smoke puffs out of Ezra’s ears. “I obviously can’t keep all the traditions, Aya. And I was trying.”

I bite my lip against a giggle. “I’ll get the pans.” He blocks my way when I try to move past him.

“I’ll do it, Aya,” he argues. “You go lie down and relax.”

I prop my hip on the counter. “Don’t you have work to do?”

He turns slow. “You are my work to do.”

He clocks it with a smirk when I press my thighs together. This dragon doesn’t miss a damn thing. He grabs the pans while I take a seat at the island and watch him cook.

My wolf isn’t the one picking these fights, not when she rolled over for him a long time ago. It’s all me. I don’t have a good answer when I ask myself what exactly I think I’m protecting, so I don’t ask.

Ezra keeps his back to me over the sizzling meat. “I can smell you, Aya. Something’s bothering you.”