He got back to the room at half past two and Yara was already there.
Not in the corner.
Sitting on the edge of his bed with her hands in her lap, in the middle of the room, in the light, which she never did.
The rest of the pack was in the other room. That was Yara's doing and he knew it, because Maren did not voluntarily sleep anywhere that wasn't on top of him.
"You moved my fox," Soren said.
"I asked your fox. She said, and I'm quoting, 'fine, but you owe me the good blanket.'"
"That does sound like her."
◆◆◆◆
He shut the door.
The system had been sitting in the corner of his vision since the yard, and it fired properly the second the latch caught.
[DING! — Obsession Index: Yara Hale. Value exceeding measurable band. Recalibration REQUIRED, not advised.]
"You're spiking," he said.
"I've been spiking since you said okay instead of screaming." Her voice was steady and her hands weren't. "Master, you have no idea what you did to me on that seal."
"I said one word."
