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The shift into my alternate form happened so fast it made me lightheaded.

I tasted nothing, but a tiny, bright-red trail trickled across Raelynn’s tanned skin, taunting me.

I hadn’t meant to pierce her skin.

When she’d bitten me, it pissed me off. Not so much that I’d hurt her, though. All I wanted to do was throw her into the shower and douse her with the coldest spray possible.

Then she bit me again.

Still, I didn’t want to hurt her—I’d done enough of that. Even if I didn’t trust her, what happened in Cholian had made me reflect on the hurt I’d caused by taking her mother’s necklace.

“Cyn?”

My gaze snapped to hers.

Wide silver eyes stared up at me, and they pissed me off.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re afraid of me. I told you I wouldn’t take anything you didn’t willingly give me.”

She shouldn’t be afraid of me. I didn’t want her to be afraid of me.

I didn’t want her to like me either, but she needed to understand that physically hurting her meant hurting myself. Because as much as neither of us wanted it, we were Nyriths. Mates. Bound until our incomplete tether was severed.

Severing it would hurt Zeke. And as much as I hated the idea that he adored her, I wouldn’t hurt him either.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

My lip curled. “Then why are you staring at me like you are?”

“I’m wondering why you transformed,” she said before her voice softened. “It surprised me.”

I closed my eyes and let my magic recede until my alternate form faded.

“What happened?”

I stilled, confusion tightening my brow. “Did you not feel it?”

“Your fangs? Well, yeah. You’ve scratched me before, but you just… transformed afterwards and got quiet. I’m more confused than anything.”

I didn’t let go of her wrists, afraid she’d freak out on me when I admitted the truth. Instead, my gaze drifted back to her neck. I couldn’t see much with her looking at me, but I knew the blood was there. I smelled it.

“I broke the skin.”

“What?”

“I broke the skin,” I snapped, unable to hide my frustration. I hated admitting I’d messed up—again.

“I’m bleeding?” She tried to lift her hand, so I released her wrists and sat up, still straddling her hips. She touched her neck before staring at her shiny red fingertips. “Oh. I didn’t feel it.”

I swung my leg off her and sat down on the bed, holding my head in my hands.

She sat up. “Are you okay?”

“Just go take a fucking shower. You’re running out of time.”