Chapter 9 · The Zero Ping

"Get your hands off me before I break them," Sloane hissed, though she didn't move an inch.

Kael didn't let go. He couldn't. His fingers were locked around her wrist, and the skin-to-skin contact was the only thing keeping his nervous system from screaming. The neural sync was hitting him in waves—raw, jagged heat that felt like liquid lead pouring through his veins.

"You're shaking," he whispered, his voice rasping. He pulled her closer, dragging her back into the shadow of a rusted ventilation duct.

"I'm not shaking. You're shaking," she snapped. She tried to wrench her arm away, but the moment the contact broke, a spike of static surged through both of them. Sloane gasped, her knees buckling. Kael caught her by the waist, slamming her back against the cold metal wall.

"See?" Kael breathed, his face inches from hers. "We're tied together, Enforcer. You play the tough girl, but your genes are begging for me just as much as mine are for you."

Sloane’s eyes flashed—a mix of professional hatred and something else, something primal. Her breath hitched, warm against his lips. "This isn't... this isn't desire, you glitchy piece of shit. It's biological failure.