"In the silence after the shift, I hear the truth of us most clearly."
The shift back to human skin was always a rush of pure sensory deprivation, but today, it was compounded by a feeling of urgent, burning need. The cold air was irrelevant; the only temperature that mattered was the one radiating between us. We stood in the snowy glade, the dark wood of the surrounding forest our only witness, our clothes half-fastened, smelling of pine, musk, and the lingering scent of high-velocity desire.
Ostel was completely composed externally, his dark coat now buttoned, his posture betraying none of the feral intensity he had shown moments before, yet his silver eyes were hot, focused entirely on me.
"Twelve minutes, Doctor," he murmured, his voice a low, rough baritone that resonated through my chest. His fingers went to the knot of my tie, pulling me forward until my body pressed against his solid frame. "A highly constrained window. We must prioritize."
