The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the forest floor as Junior and Lyra sat close together, the warmth of the flames mingling with the heat of their lingering connection. The night air was cool, but the energy between them was electric, charged with something neither could fully put into words.
Lyra's eyes gleamed in the firelight, her spiraling horns catching the glow as she turned to look at him. "You really didn't have to do that," she said, her voice low and smooth, yet tinged with a vulnerability that made Junior's chest tighten. "Risking your life for someone like me… I'm not used to that."
Junior leaned back on his hands, his eyes never leaving hers. "Someone like you?" he asked, his tone gentle but probing. "What's that supposed to mean?"
