Evaline:
My brain completely short-circuited.
One second I was standing on the balcony beside him.
The next... I was almost pressed against Elion's chest.
Somehow, he made sure to pull us this close and yet not touch. My hands hung by my side... just as lost as I was.
"What are you-"
He looked down at me and... just smiled.
Sweetly.
Infuriatingly.
Like he hadn't just shattered every boundary of normal interaction we had established over the past months.
Then he leaned closer, his lips brushing near my ear as his voice dropped to a quiet murmur.
"River is glaring daggers at me right now."
My stomach flipped. And instantly... like a magnetic pull... I felt it.
That scorching awareness.
My mate.
His gaze.
Locked on us.
My body began to turn on instinct, the primal need to find him overriding logic-
Elion's arm tightened around my waist immediately.
