Alo walked her through the tribe like he owned the ground beneath their feet.
Which, apparently, he did.
Luna kept close to his side, fingers curled lightly in the fabric at his hip, doing her best impression of small, harmless, please don't eat me. The sandstone paths curved gently between carved dwellings, the stone warm underfoot, the air alive with heat and murmurs.
Everywhere they passed, heads dipped. Some males stared too long. Alo noticed every single one.
His hand stayed firm at her back, thumb tracing slow, possessive circles that made her feel both protected and very, very seen.
"This is where the hunters return," Alo said, gesturing to a wide terrace stained dark with old scorch marks. "And there—"
He stopped.
So did the air.
Luna felt it before she saw him. The shift. The pressure. The way Alo's heat changed not flaring, not aggressive, but alert.
The male standing at the far end of the path turned. And Luna forgot how to breathe.
He was taller than Alo.
Not broader, but longer, built like a blade instead of a wall. Silver hair fell loose around his shoulders, catching the light like frost over flame. His eyes were an impossible blue, cold and bright, and a scar ran from his temple down across one cheek, carving his face into something dangerous and devastating.
Ice phoenix. Rare. Pure. And judging by the way his posture tightened, completely unprepared.
Theo felt his heart slam into his throat.
Alo.
And
His gaze dropped.
Her.
Small. Soft. Fox-scented and not. Standing at Alo's side like she belonged there. His chest tightened painfully.
This was the female everyone was whispering about.
She was… nothing like he'd imagined. Alo's expression cracked into something unexpectedly warm.
"Theo," he said, voice lifting. "You're back."
He crossed the distance in three strides and pulled the other male into a rough embrace, clapping a hand against his back. "Brother."
Luna blinked.
Brother?
Theo froze for half a second before returning the hug, his hands gripping Alo's shoulders like he needed the contact to ground himself. "You look… settled," he said carefully.
"I am," Alo replied.
Then he turned slightly, drawing Luna forward. "This is Luna." Theo straightened immediately. She did not bow. She did not shrink.
She did something far more dangerous.
She tucked herself a fraction closer to Alo's side, eyes lowering shyly, lips parting just enough to show vulnerability. Her hands twisted together like she wasn't sure where to put them.
"Hi," she said softly. Academy Award performance. No notes.
Theo's defenses crumbled.
His heart stuttered. She was beautiful.
Not in the loud, obvious way. In the way that made you want to kneel. Protect. Bleed.
And she was looking at him like he was… kind. Not like the scar mattered. Not like he was something broken.
"I—" He cleared his throat. "Theo."
She peeked up at him then, eyes bright, curious. "You're Alo's brother?"
"Yes," he said, too fast. "Yes."
She smiled.
Actually smiled.
"Oh. That makes sense."
It was over, Done, Fatal blow.
Alo watched the exchange with sharp amusement, his arm sliding more firmly around her waist. He pulled her in, chin brushing her hair, chuffing softly.
Theo noticed the scent then. His pupils blew wide. He inhaled sharply, eyes snapping down to her stomach.
There it was.
Faint. New. Impossible to miss once you knew what you were sensing.
Life, Growing.
His breath hitched.
"You're" He stopped himself, shock written plainly across his face. "You're with cub." Luna squeaked.
Alo puffed his chest slightly, heat flaring just enough to make the statement unmistakable.
"Yes," he said. "Four." Theo stared. Four.
His gaze lifted slowly back to Luna's face, awe replacing shock. "You…" He swallowed. "You're incredible."
She flushed pink immediately, fingers curling into Alo's side. "I—I am?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. Then, quieter, more honestly, "They all are. Sprout, smug as hell, chimed in Luna's mind.
ICE PHOENIX MALE: EXTREMELY HIGH VALUE.
EMOTIONAL DAMAGE: IMMINENT.
Sprout, she warned.
HE LIKES YOU.
I noticed.
Alo laughed low in his chest, clearly enjoying this far too much. "Theo," he said, clapping his brother's shoulder again. "You'll stay." Theo hesitated. He always did.
"I don't" His gaze flicked to Luna, then away. "You know how they look at me." Luna tilted her head, studying him openly now. "Like what?" He gestured vaguely at his face. "Scarred. Dangerous."
She frowned. "You're a fighter."
"Yes."
"That's… hot," she said before she could stop herself.
Silence. Theo's brain shut off entirely.
Alo barked a laugh. Theo stared at her, stunned, then laughed too soft, disbelieving, like something long frozen had cracked open.
Luna smiled shyly, then tucked her face into Alo's shoulder, hiding. Theo thought he might actually die. And for the first time in a long while, he didn't hate the idea.
THEO POV
Theo had survived war.
He had survived firestorms that turned bone to glass and sky to ash. He had survived being the strongest in a tribe that did not want to look at him too closely, had survived learning to keep his head down and his heart armored.
None of that prepared him for this.
Alo led Luna back toward the den, his hand resting at the small of her back, guiding her easily through the sandstone paths. Theo followed a respectful distance behind, telling himself that was all it was. Respect. Position. Control.
Then Luna stopped. She didn't say anything. Didn't announce it. She simply turned around, And waited.
Her hands folded together in front of her. Her head tilted just slightly, silver eyes flicking to Theo as if she'd been checking whether he was still there. As if it mattered.
Theo's chest seized. Alo noticed. Of course he did, He smiled.
"Coming?" Alo asked him lightly. Theo forced his legs to move. Luna's smile when he reached them was soft. Shy. Almost relieved.
It felt like a knife.
Dinner was worse.
They sat together on the low stone platform, firelight flickering warmly against the walls. Luna ate carefully, politely, like she was still worried about taking up too much space.
She picked up a piece of roasted meat and turned automatically toward Alo.
"Here," she said, offering it to him.
He took it from her fingers, brushing her skin deliberately, heat flaring just enough to make the moment unmistakable. Theo looked away.
Then Luna turned again.
She hesitated, just a fraction, before holding another piece out toward him.
"Oh—" Her cheeks warmed. "Do you want some?" Theo's mind went completely blank.
"Yes," he said too quickly. "I mean, if you don't mind." She smiled, small and pleased, and fed him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The taste was irrelevant. All Theo could feel was her fingers leaving his lips. Alo watched, eyes half-lidded, utterly unbothered.
Sprout, delighted, whispered inside Luna's mind:
DIRECT HIT. EMOTIONAL DAMAGE CONFIRMED.
Behave, Luna thought faintly.