Page 271 of Elemental Becoming

I barely hear him.

A laugh escapes me, breathless and bright, as I spin toward Thane.

“I heard you!”

The words rush down the bond before I can stop them. Thane tilts his head.

“What?”

His voice echoes in my mind, clear as if he’d spoken it aloud. I stare at him, my heart stuttering. For a moment, I can only blink. Then the realization hits me fully.

“Oh my gods. I heard your thoughts!”

Thane’s expression flickers.

“Wait . . . ”

Something bright surges through the bond. Shock. Hope. Disbelief.

“You mean—”

“I heard your thoughts!”I repeat, unable to stop smiling.“I can hear you now. It’s not just one-sided anymore.”

The words flow between us effortlessly, as natural as breathing.

For a moment, Thane just stares at me. Then I feel it. His surprise. His curiosity. And beneath both, something warmer. A thought brushes across my mind.

“She can hear me now? Completely? Well, that’s going to make thingsinteresting.”

A delighted laugh bursts from me. I take a step toward him, my grin widening.

“Yes,”I tell him.“It is.”

His brows lift slightly, and I can tell he’s testing it, deliberately turning the thought over in his mind.

“So if I think about how stunning you look right now, how the sunlight makes your skin glow—”

I bite my lip, warmth blooming in my chest.“I hear every word.”

A wicked smile spreads across his face.“And if I think about the other night—”

“Thane.”His name comes out somewhere between a warning and a plea as heat floods my cheeks.

He chuckles, stepping closer.“Good to know.”

Valen clears his throat, looking utterly bewildered. “Are westill training, or has this turned into something else entirely?”

He has no idea what’s happening. Thane and I haven’t spoken a single word out loud. I laugh, the sheer rightness of it too big to contain.

Without thinking, I launch myself at Thane. He catches me effortlessly. Strong arms wrap around me as he lifts me from the ground and spins me in a full circle. My braid flies out behind me, the world blurring for a moment as pure joy overtakes me. I throw my head back and laugh. Thane’s deep chuckle rumbles against me.

Valen makes a strangled sound. “What in the gods’ names is happening?!”

I twist toward him, still wrapped around Thane.

“Valen!”

His expression is caught somewhere between confusion and alarm.