Chapter 16 · It Wants Her Now

"Get your hands off me!"

I didn't just scream it; I shoved Lucan back with everything I had. But the moment my palms hit his chest, a jolt of white-hot lightning slammed through my arms, racing up my shoulders and straight into my skull.

I gasped, my knees buckling. I didn't hit the floor, though. Lucan caught me, his grip like iron clamps on my waist, pulling me flush against him. The air between us vanished. I could feel the heat radiating off his skin, the frantic thrum of his heart hammering against my own ribs.

"Stop fighting it, Mara," he hissed. His voice was low, vibrating right against my ear. "The Core isn't just reacting. It's migrating."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I clawed at his sleeves, trying to push away, but my muscles felt like they'd been replaced by lead.

He didn't let go. Instead, he shifted his grip, his hand sliding up to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair. It wasn't gentle. It was a hold—a claim. He forced me to look up at him, and for the first time, the gold in his eyes wasn't just a flicker.