Elena’s POV

I could feel his breath close to my neck, and before I could react, he leaned in.

The sharp sting made me gasp. I froze when I realized what had happened.

He had actually bitten me.

It wasn’t violent, not the kind that would draw blood, but it wasn’t gentle either. His teeth pressed into my skin, first light, then harder, then easing again, deliberate and slow.

It burned, not from pain but from something I couldn’t name. I stayed still, waiting for it to stop, waiting ...