What?! At that moment, Darius's mind was nothing but a deafening, wordless roar. Lorcan was even worse—howling at full volume inside his consciousness. She said yes! Thora just gave us the green light! What are you standing there for—take her down already! If you can hold back at a time like this, you don't deserve to call yourself a man, let alone an Alpha! The rest of Lorcan's indignant tirade was cut off as Darius forcibly severed the connection. He was already burning through every ounce of willpower to keep the fire Thora's words had just ignited from consuming him entirely. On top of that, he had to fight to keep Lorcan from hijacking control of his body. Did she even realize what she'd just said? And she'd said it that bluntly—how was he supposed to hold himself together?Thora studied Darius's face, which had gone nearly crimson with the effort of restraining himself. A faint twinge of guilt stirred in her chest. Was what she said wrong? If this had been before, Darius would have lost a hand for touching her. But things were different now. He was her man, and they were legally recognized mates. Anything that happened between them, no matter how intimate, fell within the bounds of what she considered acceptable. Darius didn't speak, but Thora could feel the arms around her tightening by the second, as though he were trying to press her straight through his ribcage. Thora decided to stop talking. She was genuinely afraid that one more word out of her mouth would make him squeeze the life out of her. What she'd forgotten, though, was the agreement they'd made years ago when she first showed up to challenge him. A three-year pact between them. Back then, one had meant nothing by it and the other had meant everything. In the end, both had let it slip from memory entirely. Besides, the three years had long since passed—from when Thora was 16 to now, at 19. By the letter of the law, they had been bonded mates for three full years. Gradually, Thora noticed the pressure of his arms easing. She moved to climb off him, but the moment she shifted, his hold tightened right back—not giving an inch. She was debating whether to just pry him off by force when she heard it—the deep, steady rhythm of breathing rising from his chest. Her body relaxed on its own. Her gaze drifted to the man beneath her, but from this angle, she could only see his clean jawline, the thick lashes resting against his lids, and the sharp, handsome edge of his profile. She frowned slightly. Asleep? Thora couldn't explain her own reasoning, but she stopped struggling. She let her body go slack and simply stayed there, draped across him. Before long, drowsiness crept in. The truth was, she hadn't closed her eyes once since leaving Blue Star Military Academy. By now, it had been 28 hours straight. For someone with Thora's stamina, that alone wasn't enough to exhaust her. But a body at ease in a safe, comfortable space was one whose defenses dropped fast, and the moment they fell, every hour of accumulated fatigue came crashing in at once. Her eyes drifted shut. The warmth radiating off Darius's body wrapped around her like a blanket, pulling her under faster than she expected. Slowly, her breathing deepened and steadied. The mingled rhythm of their breaths rose and fell in the quiet room, filling the space with a soft, sweet warmth. ...A while later, the man who should have been fast asleep quietly opened his eyes. He looked down at the figure curled against his chest, soundly asleep, and the hard line of his mouth softened into something almost helpless. His eyes brimmed with a tenderness so deep it could drown a person. His longing for Thora had never dimmed. If anything, it had only grown fiercer with time. But he had principles. They were legally mates, but no bonding ceremony had been held. No sacred rite had been performed before their elders and their people. He held Thora as the most precious thing in his world, and he refused to share that sacred moment with her under hasty, careless circumstances. Besides, she was in the middle of a mission. She'd be leaving soon. If he hadn't pretended to fall asleep and let her guard drop, she would have pushed through for who knew how many more hours without a moment's rest. A flicker of quiet ache passed through his eyes, but there was nothing to be done about it. After all, the one he'd fallen for was a boss who commanded battlefields and stood alone against the storm. He shifted carefully beneath her, adjusting his position so she could sleep more comfortably. Just rest for now... He sighed inwardly, the adoration in his gaze threatening to spill over.