= Amara =
“You’re thoughts are spilling. Everyone could tell it,” I rumbled from behind her, letting my voice roll through the hall. Low, steady, meant to catch her attention without startling her.
She stiffened before she could stop herself, and I allowed a faint smile to tug at the corners of my mouth. That little flicker of tension—it never failed to amuse me.
I stepped closer, my presence beside her heavy, grounding. I’ve always carried that weight, a reminder to anyone who stood near me that I belonged here, that I commanded. But tonight… tonight there was something different. Less armor. Less edge. I didn’t have to shield everything. Not from her.
“Really?” she asked, voice slightly sharp, like she was bothered—or maybe testing me.
“Well, yeah,” I said, letting a teasing note sl
