Page 32 of Alien Huntsman

She watched him move around the cabin with mechanical precision, his shoulders stiff and his jaw set in a hard line. He hadn’t looked at her once since leaping from the bed. She fed the pups while he built up the fire, the silence between them thick and uncomfortable.

Bashful nudged against Korrin’s leg, whining softly. Instead of his usual gentle scratch behind the ears, he simply stepped away, pretending not to notice. Bashful whimpered louder, confused by the rejection.

“Even they know something’s wrong,” she said, scooping up the dejected pup.

He grunted, busying himself with arranging kindling that was already perfectly stacked.

“Are we really not going to talk about what happened?” she pressed, her patience wearing thin.

“Nothing happened.” His voice was flat, emotionless.

Tessa felt heat rise to her cheeks. “Nothing? That kiss wasn’t nothing, Korrin.”

His shoulders tensed further, if that was even possible. “It was a mistake.”

“Look at me.” When he didn’t turn, she stepped around him, forcing herself into his line of sight. “Look me in the eyes and tell me it was a mistake.”

His eyes finally met hers, and what she saw there made her breath catch—conflict, desire, and something deeper that he was desperately trying to hide.

“Is this your plan?” she asked quietly. “You’re just going to ignore what’s happening between us?”

“Yes.” The word came out clipped, final.

She shook her head, a small, sad smile touching her lips. “You’re lying to yourself.”

“I’m protecting you.” He moved past her, grabbing his bow from where it leaned against the wall.

“I don’t need protection from you.”

He paused at the door, his hand gripping the frame so tightly his knuckles whitened. For a moment, she thought he mightturn back, might finally admit what she already knew—that kiss wasn’t a mistake. It was inevitable.

But he only shook his head and stepped outside, letting the door close behind him with quiet finality.

She busied herself with tidying the cabin. Part of her was hurt by his rejection, but she knew him well enough by now to know that it was driven by his fears, not by a lack of desire. The pups romped around her feet, more relaxed now that Korrin had left.

He hadn’t gone far. Through the window, she spotted him stalking back and forth at the edge of the clearing, bow in hand but seemingly forgotten as he paced. She caught him glancing toward the cabin—toward her—every few moments. His gaze would linger until he caught himself, then he’d jerk his attention away with a visible scowl.

A small, mischievous idea bloomed in her mind. If he was so determined to pretend nothing had happened, why did he keep watching her? Perhaps it was time to test his resolve.

She moved to the open doorway, stretching her arms above her head as if working out a kink in her back. She knew the movement would pull her dress taut across her curves. He froze mid-step, his eyes locking onto her before he wrenched his gaze away with a low growl she could hear even from this distance.

A flutter of excitement rippled through her. This was entirely new territory—she’d never deliberately tried to attract a man’s attention before. With Edgar, she’d done everything possible to discourage him. But with Korrin… the power she felt was intoxicating.

She leaned against the doorframe, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” she called

across the clearing.

His shoulders tensed, and he gave a curt nod without looking at her.

“I was thinking of picking some of those berries we saw yesterday.” She stepped out into the sunshine, making a show of stretching again. “Unless you’d rather I stay close to the cabin?”

This time he did look, and the intensity in his gaze sent a shiver down her spine. His eyes had taken on that golden glow, and even from this distance, she could see his claws extend before he clenched his fists, forcing them to retract.

“Do what you want,” he growled, but his voice had dropped an octave lower than usual.

She smiled, letting her fingers trail along the rough wood of the cabin wall as she walked toward him with deliberate slowness. “What I want…” she repeated thoughtfully, watching his claws extend and retract with each step she took.

When she was only a few paces away, she stopped, meeting his eyes. The glow had brightened, and his expression was fierce.

---