Ren looked Cilian in the eye, his breath hitching.
He wanted to say something biting, something to remind Cilian that the 'dark' that was swallowing him up was right in front of him. But the way Cilian's thumb traced the line of his jaw made the words die in his throat as he gulped.
What is going on now?
He could not think, and all he could do was lean on the feeling of Cilian's fingertips on his skin. It felt hot and lethal, this tension.
In that moment, everything else melted, and not even the 'wife' lie he had been so furious about surfaced.
He only thought about the heat of the water, the way Cilian's fingertips felt so warm, the scent of frost was drowning out the world, and the way those eyes seemed to lure him... to trap him in a way the collar never could.
Ren leaned forward, his hand still pinned against Cilian's heart. He closed the distance, moving with his heart and not his head, even as his head screamed at him to stop on his horse right away.
