The echo of the distant howl lingered in the cold air, bouncing off the stone walls of the cave like a warning. My wolf shivered under my skin, not with fear, but with something sharp and restless. Something that felt like a promise.
I pushed myself to my feet before the moment between us could swallow me whole. The air felt too heavy. The silence was too loaded. The cave suddenly too small for both of us.
“I should go,” I whispered.
Ronan rose immediately. “Ayla, wait.”
But I could not look at him. If I did, I would fall back into that closeness. I would finish the kiss I had almost started. I would let the bond take over before I had even taken a breath.
I turned toward the exit.
I barely made it one step.
Ronan caught my hand.
Not hard.
Not commanding.
Just enough.
His finger
