Dakota's head rested lightly against his shoulder, her breathing steadier now though still not fully recovered. The suppressant had dulled the surge, but it had not erased it. She could still feel the foreign presence inside her—faint, lurking, waiting beneath the surface.
"I know," she murmured, her voice softer now, strained but no longer weak. "But we're still connected."
Kade's gaze shifted to her. "Connected how."
Dakota swallowed slowly, her fingers tightening slightly in the fabric of his shirt as she tried to shape something instinctive into words. "We share blood. Not the same bloodline entirely… but close enough."
The healer, still crouched nearby, lifted his gaze at that. "That would be enough," he said carefully.
Kade's attention snapped back to him. "Explain."
