Page 339 of Elemental Becoming

I swallow. “ . . . Calryx?”

A single blink, slow and calculating. Another huff blasts me full in the face.

“You doubt me?”she says dryly, equal parts insulted and amused.

Thane chuckles under his breath. “You walked right into that one.”

He loops an arm around my shoulders, guiding me away. We walk together toward the dining hall, my arm slipping around his waist, fingers grazing the edge of his belt. Heat radiates through the layers of leather, familiar and reassuring.

“Those leathers look good on you.” His voice carries an undercurrent that sends warmth skimming beneath my skin.

Before my eyes, the warlord recedes, leaving only the man. The one who knows me better than anyone else. The one who shares my burdens, my secrets, and my bed.

His thumb brushes my shoulder once. Then his grip tightens ever so slightly, enough for me to feel the meaning behind it.

I offer him a demure smile. Without breaking stride, I let my voice slip through the bond, a whisper threading into his mind.

“Calm down, fire boy.”

His step falters for a fraction of a second, his gaze cutting to mine, sharper now. His reply is immediate, all velvet and flame.

“Hard to stay calm around you, Amara love. Not when you’re walking around in those leathers, showing every damn curve.”

His attention drifts down my body before returning to my face.

“And those daggers strapped to your thighs? Gods. You have no idea what that does to me.”

The heat in his voice slides through me, winding low in my belly. I feel it in the flush rising up my neck.

“This is your fault,”he continues, in a tone both smoldering and sinful.“Looking like that. Being this damn gorgeous.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to rein in the blush I know he can already feel through the bond.

Thane smirks.“Oh, now you’re quiet?”

I shove back at his presence with a mental nudge, feigned indignation masking the heat that’s still spreading through me.

“Behave, Warlord.”

“You first.”

A gust of wind kicks up dust as boots crunch over the field behind us as more dragons and riders land. When I glance back, I see Garrick, Jarek, and Rian running to catch up, the energy from training still evident in their strides.

Rian claps a hand against Jarek’s back, flashing a grin. “The squad’s tightening up. That was some of the cleanest formation work we’ve done.”

Garrick nods in agreement, his gaze flicking to me.

“And you.” He tilts his head, considering. “Impressive, considering you haven’t had as much practice time as the rest of us.”

I smile, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. “Is that your way of saying you didn’t expect me to keep up?”

Jarek chuckles. “He means you’re holding your own, Amara.”

Thane’s arm remains draped around my shoulders, solid and warm. His fingers trace the reinforced stitching at my sleeve in an absent gesture that somehow feels anything but absent.

“She’s doing more than that.” His voice is quieter now, butthe respect in it catches me off guard.

Garrick grins. “What can I say? I like being proven wrong.”