Eryx POV
The thought of the man tied up inside the cabin sat at the back of my mind quietly. It was unsettling, but Eryx had handled it. He’d put the intruder in check, and even though the situation was tense, it felt controlled. Control didn’t mean cruelty, though. We fed him every day—water, food and long stretches of silence. It was the only way I could sleep at night without feeling like we were becoming something we weren't.
I stepped outside and found Eryx in the clearing. His back was to me, his axe rising and falling in a steady swing. Each strike landed with a dull thud that seemed to echo through the trees. Wood chips scattered over his boots. Watching the way his shoulders moved, I felt that familiar pull in my chest, a mix of tension and a strange, soft ache.
He sensed me be
