Swiftcurrent Creek whats comes next,

The pale star upon her brow seemed to glimmer faintly under the shadow of his darkness, though it was not light that cast its glow—it was the fragile pull of a moment she hadn’t dared to believe would come again. Trust. Consolation. Connection. Her paws stilled, hovering above the salve she had so carefully applied, her breath caught like a thread in the wind.

She hadn’t flinched from his touch, though it was alien in its gentleness. It was not the harsh, biting grasp of dominance or the cruel mockery of one who took, but instead… something she could not name, save for the word sacred.

And so she let her head rest against his, a soft tremor overtaking her as his warmth seeped into her. Her throat constricted, but she swallowed it down—a tear, unbidden, slipping across her dark cheek. She thought of the meaning she poured into this moment and marveled at how little he knew of what he had just given her.

I may not have known you long, she murmured, her voice strained yet steady. She drew in a shaking breath, her ribs quaking with the effort, before continuing with quiet conviction. But I’d say you’re a good man, Akavir.

Her lips twitched faintly, a dry laugh breaking through the choking weight in her chest. They’d have to tear me limb by limb to remove me from your side.

The words felt too much and not enough all at once, but still, she gave them freely, her eyes finding his for the briefest moment before she looked away. Her paws lingered at his side, the salve smeared faintly where she had lost focus.

And though she laughed, her nerves quivered like a taut bowstring, as though the weight of the universe rested upon the fragile balance they shared in this fleeting, sacred closeness.

In the end, she whispered, as if only for herself, Never again, echoing his vow. The quiet promise hung between them like an unspoken truth, binding her fragile heart to the strength he offered so freely.