Technically speaking, after I’d blurted out my feelings to Heron earlier, having a moment alone with him would’ve been a good opportunity to follow up on that—since he’d yet to respond to my declaration. However, at this precise moment, as we climbed down into our hole in the mound, the silence was awkward and weighed heavy on my shoulders.

What could I possibly say? I’d already told him how I felt about him. I had no idea whether he felt the same or not. And he wasn’t saying anything, either.

Oh, man, I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

No, no, I did the right thing. I let it all out. Now I just have to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be.

The hole was spacious enough for the both of us to lie down comfortably, the floor covered with soft layers of fur. We didn’t need any light, as our eyes functioned perfectly in its absence. I could see the frown pulling his eyebrows closer as he avoided my gaze, seemingly looking for his spot on the ground.

I was so nervous my hands were literally shaking. Figuring I’d have to make myself busy, somehow, and get my mind off our earlier, mostly one-sided conversation, I started fumbling with large pieces of fur, pulling them together into a makeshift mattress. There wasn’t enough room in here for me to move without occasionally bumping into Heron, who instantly reacted with a muffled “Sorry” whenever we got too close. I just couldn’t take that silence anymore.

“So, yeah, we can share this, I guess,” I muttered, pointing at the “bed”. “I mean, it’s the size of a single, but, given the circumstances, it’ll do. This isn’t exactly a hotel room.” I chuckled nervously.

“Avril, I—”

“Or you could make your own pile on the side, if you want. I’m okay regardless. There’s plenty of fur here for the both of us.” I kept droning on, comfortable with how my senseless words were filling up the emptiness between us. As long as I kept talking, I wouldn’t have to bring up my feelings toward him—feelings which, by the way, were messing with my senses.

The close proximity thickened the air and made it difficult for me to breathe. My heart thudded, and my pulse was on a constant race, to the point where I was getting lightheaded. I didn’t even realize that Heron was standing still, watching me as I gathered more furs in the middle.

“Can you just—”

“These are really soft furs, though,” I said, once again cutting him off. In my panic to avoid silence, I’d completely tuned Heron out, as well, along with his attempts to speak. “I wonder what animals they got them from. Oh, God, they’d better not be from other Adlets, because that would be insanely creepy and—”

“Avril!” Heron raised his voice, finally snapping me out of my fidgeting frenzy. I straightened my back and looked at him, with only a couple of feet between us.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, clutching a piece of fur at my chest. “You were saying?”

“Well, then, good to see you’re finally still and quiet for a second, so I can gather the courage to tell you that… I like you, too, Avril,” he said. My heart made its way up to my throat, dissolving into a heatwave that then spread through my entire body, leaving my toes and fingers tingling. “More than before. More than I ever thought possible. You’re not the only one dealing with this, as far as this is concerned. I can’t get you out of my head. I’ve tried, believe me, but the thought of you is incredibly persistent. Just wanted you to know that.”

I blinked several times, while trying to get my heartrate under control. My chest burned, and my stomach tightened. It was now my turn to reply, and… What do I say?

“Would’ve been nice to hear that hours ago, when I first told you how I felt,” I said, my cheeks catching fire.

“I was just about to say it when we spotted the Adlets,” Heron replied, raising his arms to the sides in exasperation.

I couldn’t help but chuckle nervously. “Better late than never, right?”

“I would’ve said something sooner, if I’d know that this is how you feel,” Heron said, then let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve had a thing for you from the moment you handed my ass to me during training. I just didn’t think you’d even look at me.”

“Why wouldn’t I look at you? You’ve got two legs, two arms, and the ability to formulate a coherent thought, right?” I retorted, seeking refuge in sarcasm. I didn’t really know how to handle such confessions, and my foot-in-mouth syndrome was clearly taking over.

Heron raised a sarcastic eyebrow at me, crossing his arms. “Really, Avril? Is that your standard, as far as guys are concerned?”

“No. Dammit, that’s not what I meant,” I replied, rolling my eyes, frustrated with myself. This was bad and getting worse, and I had no idea how to stop it. “I feel like I’m riding a train off a cliff right about now, Heron. How do I stop?”

“You can shut up for five minutes and formulate a coherent thought,” Heron shot back with a smirk. Ah, there he is, the Mara I fell for. The biting sarcasm and using my own words against me, infuriating and amusing me at the same time.

“This is how you get yourself kicked in the mouth, Heron.”

“By being the smartass you fell in love with?”

“Yes!” I replied, then stilled, realizing what I’d just said yes to. In all fairness, it was the truth. I loved our banter, and, ugh, I loved him. His jade gaze softened on me, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. My breath hitched. There was no turning back now. “This isn’t the right time, I know. It’s what really ticks me off. But we could die tomorrow, or the day after, or we could get out of this mess in one piece. Either way, there’s no guarantee I’ll have another chance to tell you this. But yes, Heron. I’m in love with you. You overconfident smartass.”

Heron took a step forward, and my heart stopped for a sweet moment. He closed the distance between us, his eyes locked on mine. I stared into the endless jade pools beneath his black eyelashes, and time stopped. Everything contracted, then expanded around me, as he lowered his head, his mouth capturing mine.

I closed my eyes, relishing the explosions of bright colors as I parted my lips and allowed Heron to take me over, body and soul. His arms came around my waist, tightening. He pressed me against his hard, toned chest. Heron wasn’t big, as far as muscle mass was concerned, but he was tall, and his frame enveloped mine in a way that made me feel small, even fragile, and perpetually cherished in his embrace. I ran my fingers through his short black hair, and he grunted softly against my lips. We were in so much trouble. We couldn’t get enough of each other, and we’d been carrying this tension around with us for a long time.

And now, as we unraveled in each other’s arms, everything we’d been holding back was gradually, but surely, coming undone. His hands traveled up and down my body, discreetly and skillfully removing my weapons and protective gear, dropping each with a muffled clang or jingle on the fur-covered floor.

Heron cupped my face, the gentle touch of his fingers on my cheeks making me shiver as he brought the kiss to a soft end. His darkened gaze found mine, and my body bucked from the intensity emanating from him. My breath was rapid and ragged, my heart struggling to keep up with this incredible moment. For a few, deliciously long seconds on this savage planet, Heron and I had only each other to deal with, and the feelings we’d been trying to ignore for days.

“Avril, I just want you to know that if we get out of this alive, I plan on taking you on a real date. Dinner, great view of a forest or a waterfall, music in the background… the works,” he whispered.

“Your lady friends back home will hate me,” I replied, chuckling softly.

“I’m sorry I gave you the impression of a Grade A philanderer,” he said, his gaze dropping to the ground. “It’s not really me. I know I’ve said it before, but I feel the need to say it again. Don’t worry about any lady friends or whatever. Nobody sees me the way you do, and you’re all that matters to me.”

“I’ll be honest, that’s what scared me the most about this. I mean, us,” I breathed, then offered a faint smile, watching as he took off his weapons, his belt, and the rest of his protective gear, then sat on the furs, looking up at me. “That you’d consider me one of… well, one of your lady friends.”

With lightning speed, he grabbed my hand and pulled me down. The move caught me by surprise, and I landed in his lap. He kissed me with insatiable hunger, with one arm wrapped around my waist and the other taking a firm hold around the back of my neck and pulling me closer.

I could hear his heart thumping, and his natural scent threw me off balance completely. The sweet fragrance of desire and affection mingled and tickled my nostrils, and I inhaled deeply, taking it all in.

“I don’t deserve a creature like you, Avril,” he whispered gently in my ear, parting our lips, “but I’d be foolish to turn you away, or treat you like anything other than the goddess that you are. All I can do is worship you and all your quirks, and hope you’ll take me, as I am.”

“You mean the smartass I fell in love with?” I replied, then turned my head and dropped a kiss on his neck. “Yeah, I’ll take you.”

He laughed lightly, then rolled us over on the side so he could envelop me in his arms. I fell asleep to the rhythm of his heartbeat—frantic and irregular, mostly because of me. The pattern carried me off to dreamland, where Heron and I somehow met again, beneath a giant magnolia tree.

If only for one night, it was just the two of us, lost in streams of our subconscious, relieved that we’d fallen for each other. That we felt the same way.