My mouth dried.
She was waking.
I managed to take one more step toward the bed.
Poppy’s chest rose once more in an even deeper and longer breath.
A low, throaty hum rumbled from her chest, reminding me of a large, very content feline. The sound went straight to my cock, but I barely felt it as I sat beside her. Or fell. Her lips parted, revealing the very tips of her fangs. The taste of something sweet and sharp gathered in the back of my throat.
My arms trembled as I focused on her pulse. It matched mine.
That was a good sign.
Planting my hands flat on the bed, I leaned toward her. “Please,” I breathed. “Please open your eyes, Poppy.”
The breath she drew in then was sharper. Her lashes fluttered—
Poppy sprang into motion, bolting upright and onto her knees. The sudden movement sent shockwaves of pain through her stiff muscles. I couldfeelthat as her head whipped toward me.
Time seemed to stop as our gazes locked. Instinct warned me that she was sizing me up, stirring the eather within. But I was a silly fuck because her eyes… They were a kaleidoscope of churning greens, blues, and browns, pierced by tendrils of silver essence. The only sign of crimson was in the aura behind her pupils, streaking the shadowy silver glow.
There was no sign of Kolis.
There was also no sign of Poppy as she eyed me like the predator I was.
But that wasn’t entirely abnormal. It even took Atlantians a few moments to make sense of their surroundings after completing the Culling. At least, that was what I kept telling myself as I stayed completely still.
I let my senses stretch out as her gaze swept over me. What I tasted was a mixture of confusion, gnawing hunger, and something hard to decipher. But it wasn’t anger or fear.
That was another good sign.
So was the fact that she was most definitely checking me out in a way that wasn’t predatory. More likeneedful. Or maybe not, as she shifted into a crouch with an otherworldly grace.
The eather thrummed more intensely, almost as if responding to what coursed through her veins.
Power.
Old, ancient, and unbound power. I could sense that the essence was weakened, but I knew it wouldn’t stay that way.
She was dangerous.
But so was I. The essence in me pulsed, drawing forth instincts all Elemental Atlantians carried with them: the desire to make her run purely so I could give chase, the instinct that demanded I dominate. But it was heightened. Stronger.
The threads of crimson and shadows swirled out from behind her pupils as her chin dipped. A low growl rumbled from her, and every part of my being recognized the challenge in the sound. But that wasn’t the only thing I heard in the warning.
Hunger.
Pressure seized my chest. I wanted nothing more than to give her my vein and assuage the pain she was feeling, but if Kolis was still hidden somewhere inside her…
Fuck.
Words scratched their way up my throat. “Please,” I repeated hoarsely. “Please, give me a sign that it’s you and only you.”
Poppy’s body jerked as her eyes widened slightly. Her confusion increased, but I…I tasted something sweet and sharp again. Not anticipation or excitement. Not even need. More like…yearning.
I inhaled sharply.
Her gaze lowered, and she seemed to go rigid before lifting an arm and reaching forward—
