Ayra woke with fire under her skin.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Hunger.
She gasped, sitting upright as heat rolled through her in slow, relentless waves. The bond burned brighter than it ever had, coiling low in her belly, spreading through her chest, her thighs, her spine. It was not asking.
It was demanding.
Her fingers curled into the blanket beneath her, breath coming shallow. The night air was cool, but her body felt overheated, overly aware of itself in a way that made it impossible to lie still.
Across the small camp, Alric stirred.
He sucked in a sharp breath, hand flying to his chest as if struck.
Ayra froze.
Their eyes met instantly.
The bond flared.
Alric swore under his breath, pushing himself upright. His expression was tight, controlled but his pupils were blown wide, his breathing uneven.
"You feel it," Ayra whispered.
"Yes."
The word came out rough.
The space between them felt charged, heavy, as though the air itself had thickened. Ayra swallowed, suddenly hyper aware of her body, the way the thin fabric of her tunic clung to her skin, the way every small movement sent another ripple of sensation through her.
"This isn't normal," she said, forcing steadiness into her voice.
"No," Alric agreed. "It's backlash."
Her heart thudded. "From what?"
"From you taking control," he said quietly. "The bond is recalibrating."
Another wave rolled through her, sharper this time. She sucked in a breath, fingers digging into her thigh.
"It feels like" She broke off, embarrassed despite herself.
Alric's jaw tightened. "Like it's pulling you apart from the inside."
"Yes."
Silence stretched.
The bond pulsed, impatient.
Alric stood slowly, like a man approaching something dangerous. "Ayra… this kind of backlash usually resolves one way."
Her pulse jumped. "Which is?"
He hesitated.
"Physical grounding," he said finally. "Touch. Proximity. Intimacy."
The word settled between them, heavy and undeniable.
Ayra laughed softly, breathless. "You're telling me the bond wants us to"
"Yes."
Her laugh died when another surge hit her, stronger than before. Her knees weakened, and she had to brace herself against a fallen stone.
Alric moved instantly, catching her before she could fall.
The contact was explosive.
Ayra gasped as his hands closed around her arms, solid and warm. The bond surged violently, lighting every nerve in her body. Her head tipped back before she could stop herself, breath shuddering out of her.
Alric froze.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
His hands were steady, but she could feel the tension in him , the restraint, the battle behind his eyes.
"Ayra," he said softly, warning threaded through her name. "If we don't manage this carefully"
"I know," she whispered.
But her body betrayed her, leaning closer without permission. Her skin felt too tight, too sensitive, every inch of her screaming for more contact.
The bond hummed, low and insistent.
Alric exhaled slowly and loosened his grip just enough to look at her properly.
"This isn't just desire," he said. "It's the bond asserting balance."
Her lips parted. "And if we ignore it?"
His thumb brushed her wrist, accidentally, and they both inhaled sharply.
"Then it will get worse," he said. "Pain. Fever. Loss of control."
Ayra closed her eyes briefly.
She had spent her whole life denying herself things safety, comfort, want. She was tired of fighting everything.
When she opened her eyes, her gaze was steady.
"Then don't ignore it."
The bond flared brightly, almost relieved.
Alric's breath hitched. "Ayra"
She stepped closer, slowly, deliberately, until there was barely space between them. She could feel the heat of him, the tension coiled beneath his composure.
"This doesn't make me weak," she said quietly. "And it doesn't make you my keeper."
His eyes darkened. "No."
"It makes us participants."
The bond pulsed agreement.
Alric lifted his hand, hesitating just a second before brushing his knuckles along her jaw. The touch was gentle, reverent, but it sent a shock straight through her.
Ayra swallowed hard.
Every instinct screamed for more.
Alric leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers, breath mingling with hers. "If we cross this line," he murmured, "there's no pretending it didn't change things."
She tilted her head up. "Things already changed."
The bond thrummed, deep and insistent, wrapping around them like a living thing.
His hand slid to her waist, fingers splaying there as if grounding himself. Ayra's breath caught, her hands lifting without thought to clutch at his tunic.
For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to heat, breath, and want.
Then—
A sharp pulse ripped through the bond.
Ayra cried out, staggering as the sensation twisted abruptly not pain, but warning.
Alric stiffened instantly, pulling back. "Someone's near."
Her heart raced. "How do you know?"
"The bond just… shifted," he said, scanning the darkness. "Like it sensed interference."
The hunger didn't fade , it simmered, frustrated and unresolved.
Ayra's chest rose and fell rapidly. "So what now?"
Alric met her gaze, something fierce and unsettled burning there. "Now we survive the night."
"And later?" she asked softly.
His answer was immediate.
"Later," he said, voice low, "we finish what the bond started."
The promise hung between them, heavy and undeniable.
Ayra nodded once, body still humming, desire coiled tight and aching.
The bond pulsed patient now.
Waiting.