Kaelen felt the moment tipping.
His hand at her waist, her fingers gripping his shirt and their breaths tangled. The urge wasn't violent, it was deep, claiming and iInstinctual.
And that frightened him.
His wolf surged again.
'Mark her.'
His jaw tightened and with visible effort, Kaelen stepped back and the space between them snapped open like a torn thread.
Lyra blinked.
The sudden absence of his warmth left a hollow ache in its place.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Kaelen dragged a hand through his hair, forcing air into his lungs.
"This—" His voice was lower than usual, rough at the edges. "Whatever you are feeling, it's the bond."
Lyra stayed silent.
Her fingers slowly dropped from where they had been clutching his shirt.
"It's instinct," he continued. "Biology. It happens to everyone of our kind."
He kept his tone steady, detached and controlled as if he hadn't almost lost it seconds ago.
