Astron stared into her eyes, his own gaze calm, steady—unwavering as the silence stretched between them. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin, could still sense the lingering traces of her fangs from where they had sunk into his neck. Yet, he didn't move. He only watched.
Her reaction to his touch had been unexpected. The way she had trembled—not from hunger, not from need, but from something else. Something more fragile. More uncertain.
And as he stood there, feeling the weight of the moment settle around them, memories began to stir.
The first time he met Senior Maya.
It had been nothing out of the ordinary at the time. A simple exchange—though he had thought of her as someone who was a bit different….
But things had taken a turn.
At some point, she had changed.
She had needed his help—and he had given it.
