Lorien POV

Auren didn’t release me as we moved through the dense forest, branches brushing our shoulders until the trees parted to reveal an idling truck. The passenger door stood open, cab lights glowing, a persistent beeping cutting through the night until we climbed inside and shut the door behind us.

Sparks hummed between us alive, impossible to ignore. Everywhere our bodies touched felt charged, electric. My fingers kept drifting to the mark on my neck, tracing its edges, knowing the ...