Isolde gulps. "Okay. Sorry."
Nash shakes his head. "It's fine."
"It didn't look fine."
"It's fine," he repeats quietly.
She nods. "Okay… well. I'll go. You're probably busy…"
Then, because her nerves are sprinting and she has no idea how to act around a boy who maybe likes her sister more, she tries to walk away.
Just… escape. Reboot her brain somewhere else. Maybe behind a tree. But before she can take two steps, a strong hand catches her wrist.
Her breath hitches. She turns very slowly because she already knows who it is.
Nash.
His jaw is tight. His eyes are wild in a way she hasn't seen before; panicked, something like desperation flickering in them.
His other hand scratches his hair. "Isolde, please. Don't walk away. At least, not yet."
The mate bond pulses between them in the hottest and most terrifying way. Auro rises in her chest, claws curling in interest. Isolde swallows, but her throat is dry.
"…What do you want, Nash?" she whispers.
