Thessian remained awake.
He hadn't intended to watch her. Yet his gaze kept drifting back despite his best intentions, checking the rise and fall of her chest beneath the blanket, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing beneath the quieter sounds of the forest settling for what remained of the night.
Safe.
The word should have brought relief. Should have eased the tension coiled in his chest.
Instead, something restless stirred beneath his skin.
At first, it was subtle, a tightening in his chest, a heat spreading slowly through his veins like whiskey warming from the inside. His fingers flexed against the armrest of the chair, nails pressing harder than intended into the worn leather, leaving small crescent marks.
He frowned, recognizing the sensation but rejecting its timing.
Too early.
The full moon was still three nights away. This shouldn't be happening yet.
