Maybe her disappointment was inappropriate. Madeleine was slowly reordering her entire belief system, thanks in large part to their relationship. It was more than Hæra had a right to expect after how they’d begun. She tucked Madeleine’s hair behind her ear. “Your willingness means a great deal to me. As do you.”

Madeleine blushed. She drummed her fingertips against Hæra’s clavicle until Hæra released her hand, and then began stroking Hæra’s skin again. “You mean a lot to me too.”

She didn’t make eye contact when she said it. Did that mean she wasn’t sincere? No, that wasn’t right. Hæra “meant a lot” to Madeleine, that was obvious. So why the furtive expression?

For the first time, Hæra felt reluctant to ask. What if she upset the delicate balance they’d achieved and drove Madeleine away? It was probably nothing.

When Madeleine leaned forward and nuzzled the side of Hæra’s neck, it was even easier to convince herself of this. Madeleine had grown much bolder in the last couple of weeks. No more pink cheeks and fluttering eyelashes, although Hæra had enjoyed that too. Now she reached for Hæra when she wanted something, and she took it. An urge Hæra fully understood.

She tilted her head to the side and sighed as the kisses wandered higher up her neck. Could there be anything else like the stroke of Madeleine’s lips on her skin? She’d spent so long wanting to devour Madeleine. She hadn’t thought how pleasant it might be to get devoured in her turn.

Madeleine nipped her earlobe. Hæra chuckled. “Trying to eat me alive?”

“I hear that’s your specialty,” Madeleine said lightly.

Hæra’s heart stopped. Did Madeleine know somehow, had she guessed⁠—?

Surely that wasn’t possible. The longer they were together, the less Hæra could imagine telling her the truth about her original plan, calling a look of anger and disgust into those beloved eyes. Why ruin what brief time they had together? But if Madeleine had somehow realized…intuited, or…

“Sorry,” Madeleine said.

“What?” Hæra asked, startled.

“You got all stiff. I guess I shouldn’t joke about that.” Madeleine touched Hæra’s shoulder, and now she looked into Hæra’s eyes, her expression penitent. “I just—sometimes I think, if I can joke about it, it’s not a big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Hæra said, relieved. “We are who we are, and we’re obviously compatible. I just…want you to understand that I…”

Madeleine blinked at her. “You what?”

“That I could never harm you,” Hæra said hoarsely, remembering the night on the shore when she’d taken horse form and tried to drive Madeleine into the sea. Instead, she’d realized she could never hurt a hair on Madeleine’s head.