Page 136 of Marked By His Hunger

---

The words settled deep.

Too deep.

Because part of me already knew they were true.

“And,” she added, sharper now, “you did not come here to tangle with Monsters.”

My heart stuttered.

Raven.

Draugr.

Mine.

I swallowed hard.

“I wasn’t?—”

“You were,” she cut in smoothly. “And you will not continue to do so.”

Her certainty should have settled it.

Should have shut this down.

Should have made me nod, agree, back away from whatever dangerous thing was building between us.

But instead—something inside me resisted.

Not loudly.

Not recklessly.

But stubbornly.

Because for the first time in my life…

I didn’t feel like something was wrong with me.

I felt like something had finally… recognized me.

And no matter what she said—no matter how dangerous it was—I wasn’t sure I could walk away from that.

My pulse kicked up.

Defensive.

I didn’t like being told what I would or wouldn’t do.

Especially when my entire body still remembered the way Raven felt against me.

“Maybe you should explain what’s happening before you start making rules,” I shot back.

Something flickered in her eyes.

Approval?

Maybe.

---