**************
My heartbeat began calming down, though I was still very much aware of him. I could feel his wolf lightly connecting with mine, almost like a soft electric spark in the air.
Jade stirred eagerly. "He's testing us. Don't back down."
"I'm not playing this game."
"Liar."
Kael shifted closer, close enough now that our knees touched through the thin layers of fabric. My pulse jumped immediately.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
He arched a brow. "Sitting."
"Too close."
"Define too close."
"Kael."
"Spring." He said my name like a challenge, like a secret only he knew how to unwrap.
Jade practically fanned herself. "Oh, I like it when he says it like that. Say it again, Kael."
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the laugh. "You're insufferable."
"And yet you're still talking to me." He leaned his chin into his hand, studying me like a chessboard. "Why is that, hm?"
"Because kicking you out would wake the entire camp," I hissed.
