As he lowered the water gourd, lightly licking a drop of water lingering on his slightly red, swollen lips, Asher suddenly leaned in close.
The atmosphere instantly turned thick and ambiguous; the distance between the two of them drastically shortened to mere inches. The strong, bitter herbal scent of the Alpha mingled with the smell of decaying autumn leaves, creating an invisible yet incredibly captivating pressure.
Ewan's eyes widened. Forgetting to breathe, his heart rate, which had just settled after his sprint, began to hammer away wildly like a drum all over again.
Asher unexpectedly reached out a hand to lightly touch Ewan's cheek, causing the Omega to freeze stiff, thinking this man was about to do something out here in the middle of nowhere. But no, the Alpha's rough thumb merely brushed gently across his cheekbone, carrying a very light force, just enough to wipe away a smear of black mud that Ewan had accidentally rubbed on his face while inspecting the soil earlier.
