Bram;
I stare at the mirror for a long time before I smile.
It's still strange, seeing her face move when I move. Seeing Alana blink back at me.
Soft eyes, gentle mouth... That careful tilt of the head that makes people underestimate her.
…Underestimate me.
I lift a hand and brush my thumb beneath my eye, slow, deliberate. The reflection copies me perfectly. The illusion is the strongest thing I've ever seen.
One wouldn't expect less from a monster like Avaren.
My smile melts into a smirk as I slowly wrap my arms around myself.
Koda's arms were warm.
That's the thought that lingers longest, curling in my chest like a satisfied cat.
It's not that I care about his touch. Fuck, no. I don't care about that.
What matters is the way I felt his aura shift. The way I felt the moment something inside him gave way.
The doubt. The instinct I've noticed Alphas pride themselves on so dearly. I felt it bend under the weight of a single, well-placed act of heroism.
