Darius stood, crossed over to Thora's side, and sat down right next to her. He reached out and gently lifted a strand of her hair. The soft brown locks slipped through his fingers, carrying a faint, clean scent that was uniquely hers. "It's so much longer than last year." The corner of his mouth lifted. "You haven't cut it once all year, have you?" He'd always loved touching Thora's hair. From the very first time, he couldn't get enough—it was impossibly soft, silky smooth, and carried that scent that never failed to ease the tension coiled inside him. Thora reached up and touched her own hair, murmuring softly. "It really has gotten long..." Between nonstop training and back-to-back missions at the military academy this past year, her hair had been the last thing on her mind. A year ago, it barely reached her ears. Now it fell past her neck, just long enough to tie back.The scent drifting off her was too much. Darius couldn't resist. He reached out, pulled her close, and locked her against his chest as they both sank into the plush couch. Thora didn't fight it. She let herself settle against him in that position, though out of habit, one arm came up across his throat. Her tone was more curious than alarmed. "What's gotten into you?" Darius gazed into her eyes, his voice quiet but earnest. "Then don't cut it. Let it grow." Thora noticed how fixated he seemed on her hair. She couldn't help asking. "You like long hair?" Darius's expression turned almost solemn as he corrected her, his eyes full of something deeper. "No. I just like you." Thora blinked, genuinely confused. "What does one have to do with the other?" Darius stared at her for a beat—wasn't the point obviously the "I just like you" part? Inside Thora's consciousness, her wolf spirit, Amie, couldn't help but roll her eyes so hard they nearly stuck. The internal grumbling was immediate—Thora was brilliant at everything except this. Darius's whole point was "I like you," and she'd completely whiffed on it. But Amie couldn't really blame her. In the apocalypse, Thora's daily life had been nothing but fighting mutant werewolves on the frontlines. There had been zero room for anything remotely emotional, and the betrayal by a trusted subordinate at the end had only made her build her walls higher... It was enough to drive a wolf insane. Who knew when Thora would finally let her guard down completely? Amie was dying to meet Darius's wolf. The truth was, something had stirred in Thora when she heard those words. She just didn't fully understand what. After a quiet pause, she said it plainly. "I don't really get it. But hearing you say that ... it made me happy." Darius's eyes lit up instantly, the joy in them impossible to contain.Deep inside, his wolf spirit, Lorcan, was spinning in ecstatic circles, howling at the top of his lungs. Yes! She's finally starting to get it! Her affection for us just went up! I don't know what she went through to become so emotionally guarded, but if it were me, I'd have already shown her exactly how I felt—with action, not words! Fueled by Lorcan's frenzy, Darius couldn't hold back. Both arms wrapped around Thora's waist, pulling her flush against his chest. Her body tipped forward. He dipped his head in one seamless motion. Warm, soft lips grazed the corner of her mouth, then trailed down to her jaw, where he pressed a single, tender kiss. By the time Thora was fully settled against him, Darius had already closed his eyes and tightened his hold. Now wasn't the time. Even though every part of him wanted to hold her tighter, kiss her deeper, take things further... When it finally registered that she'd been taken advantage of, Thora's brow twitched. She reached up and pinched both of Darius's cheeks hard enough to warp his face out of shape. But Darius kept his eyes shut, playing dead. The smile tugging at the corners of his mouth gave him away completely. As Thora took in the barely contained delight in his eyes and the grin he couldn't suppress, something in her gaze softened without her realizing it. Her lips moved almost imperceptibly, and she slowly withdrew her hand, preparing to get up. But Darius had her locked in an iron hold. She struggled a few times and couldn't break free. "Keep moving like that, and I won't be able to hold myself back." His voice came out low and rough, threaded with a magnetic rasp and the faintest edge of warning—the kind that sent a shiver down your spine whether you wanted it to or not. Feeling the desire he was barely keeping leashed, Thora went still for a few seconds. Then, with perfect deadpan composure, she stated matter-of-factly, "Legally speaking, we're mates. Intimate relations are well within our rights." Physical closeness had never come naturally to her. But when it came to Darius, she was beginning to realize her tolerance was growing by the day.