The Bite That Changed Everything

Nova's POV

I don't know what I expected—definitely not that.

One second, I was staring into those stormy silver eyes, completely caught in the tidal wave of emotion he'd unleashed on me, and the next... he bit me.

Not a nibble. Not some cute, playful vampire nibble.

A bite.

Sharp, hot pain bloomed on the side of my neck, and I gasped. My hands flew up instinctively, but not to shove him away—I don't know why—maybe it was shock or the odd way it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Maybe it was the part of me that already trusted him in a way I couldn't explain.

He pulled back slowly, his lips brushing my skin tenderly, like an apology—but his eyes… his eyes were still glowing with that otherworldly intensity.

"What the actual—Eldur!" I breathed, wide-eyed. "Did you just bite me?!"

A very unbothered, very smug grin crept across his stupidly handsome face.