For a long moment, silence hung heavy between Ayesha and Alaric. Both were lost in their own thoughts. His steady heartbeat beneath her ear offered comfort, yet the unease in her chest refused to fade.
She stirred restlessly, then slowly lifted her head from his chest to look at him. His expression was calm, but the shadows in his eyes told her he was far from at ease.
"Tell me honestly… I… what did I just do?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Alaric's hand rose, brushing strands of damp hair from her face. He didn't answer right away, because Zeus was already thundering inside him.
[She drained you, Alaric. Don't you feel it? Your energy… your core. She took it in, like it was her own sustenance.] Zeus's voice thundered in his mind, deep and unyielding. [She's our mate, and it's fine to give her strength but not when she's about to take the life out of us.]
Alaric stiffened, his jaw tightening.
