THE WORD hung in the air between them like a blade suspended by thread.
Feeding.
Mailah's throat tightened. She remembered—oh god, she remembered.
The way her vision had blurred at the edges, the dizzy euphoria mixed with terror, the sensation of something essential being pulled from her core. Grayson's face above hers, desperate and hungry and fighting himself with every breath.
She'd almost died. He'd almost killed her. And now Liora was calmly explaining that they'd need to do it again, in front of witnesses, as part of their wedding ceremony.
"I can see this is... concerning," Liora said carefully, watching Mailah's face drain of color. "Perhaps I should have led with more context."
"Perhaps," Mailah managed, her voice tight.
