Meteor showers in the skies of the interstellar were rare and nothing like the ones back on Earth. Emma had watched recordings of them on her lightcore before—every meteor a different hue, streaking across the vast galaxy in radiant arcs. It was dazzling. Magical, even. "There's really a meteor shower tonight?" she asked. "Then, I have to see it." Her smile bloomed bright as she turned toward the kitchen to start on the cakes and pastries she'd promised Aria. She even made an extra set for Her Majesty, neatly packed and ready to be sent to Aurelia together. … Upstairs, Marcus stirred restlessly and reached out beside him—his hand brushed only cool sheets. "Ms. Tibarn?" He opened his eyes. The space next to him was empty.D*mn it. When had she woken? He hadn't noticed a thing. He hadn't even been there to greet her in the morning. He sat up, throwing off the covers, but before he could rise, a burning wave ignited deep inside him. This was… Another heat period? Impossible. His heat period wasn't due for another three months. Why now? Was it because he'd forced his body temperature down last night? His jaw tightened. He snatched a set of clothes from his storage band, threw them on, and left her room, intending to retreat to the crystal coffin for a bit. The crystal coffin's biting chill was the only thing that could suppress the fever clawing through his body, at least temporarily. … Downstairs, Emma had just finished the last batch of pastries. She and Edric sat in the living room, folding boxes and tying ribbons. These were gifts. After all, the presentation mattered. When Marcus came down the stairs, Emma looked up and waved him over. "Marcus, you're awake. Come help us!" Marcus, who was just about to return to his room, froze in his tracks the moment he heard her voice. Her voice slid through him like a hook, sharp and invisible, catching on the core of his being. The clear thought of his crystal coffin scattered into haze. Reason whispered to him to stay away from her, but her voice, her scent—it was all a silken, inescapable net, tightly enveloping him. His body turned on its own. Step by step, he walked toward her. Edric glanced up. He frowned as he saw Marcus' eyes fixed intently on Emma. That intense, focused stare—doesn't that look only surface during heat? Emma didn't notice. She was absorbed in tying the bow just right, fingers moving deftly. Marcus sank onto the seat beside her, or rather, against her. He sat down quite almost right on her, his knee and arm unabashedly pressed against hers without the slightest restraint. Through the thin fabric of their clothes, the warmth and softness of her body seeped in, making the heat surging inside him grow even more intense. Emma felt him leaning closer and paused mid-motion, puzzled. She turned her head slightly. "Marcus, why are you sitting so close to me?" This wasn't the bedroom. On top of that, Edric was sitting right across from them. Marcus didn't answer. His eyes dropped to the ribbon in her hands, his lashes low. Her scent filled his senses. The heat radiating from her skin at the place where their arms touched made his pulse stumble. He held himself back, fighting and resisting the urge to pull her into his embrace. He reached out, meaning to take the ribbon from her fingers, but his hand betrayed him. It didn't touch the ribbon. Instead, it wrapped around her hand. Her skin was soft, warm, gently enveloped by his own cold, large hand.Marcus stared, almost dazed, at their hands intertwined, the sight almost dizzying. Something wasn't right. Marcus was acting even stranger than usual today. Edric's eyes darkened with suspicion. He set the box aside and said quietly, "Marcus… are you in heat?" Emma blinked, then turned to him. "Isn't he already in heat?" "What?" Edric's brows shot up as he stared at Marcus. "Already?" If Marcus had been in heat all this time, his endurance was unreal. To hold out this long and only now lose control? He honestly hadn't noticed before. "I'm not. I wasn't." His voice was low, roughened by restraint. He frowned, clearly confused by her words. He quietly replied, "I only started the heat period today, but don't you worry, Ms. Tibarn. I can control it."Emma studied him, not quite sure what exactly he was trying to control. She was right there, after all, but since he said he could handle it, she decided to respect that. Marcus wasn't like Edric or Silas. Edric and Silas had both made their intentions to bond with her clear. If they were suffering through their heat, she wouldn't hesitate to take them to bed and ease it. However, Marcus was different. His reason for wanting to bond had always been to die. Now, though, his every action screamed that he didn't want that anymore. Once, he'd been desperate to bond, desperate for the end that came after. Why the sudden change? Emma's gaze lingered on him, a quiet realization dawning. Maybe, after everything lately, after the comfort and care she'd given him, his body didn't hurt so much anymore. That was why, for now at least, he no longer wanted to die.