What am I?
I step into the room before I can talk myself out of it.
She notices first. Her gaze flicks to me, and the shift in her scent is immediate – not flare, not fire. Warmth deepening. Something indulgent and low.
My jaw tightens.
“Kai,” I say evenly.
He glances at me, irritation already primed. “What?”
“You’re circling.”
“So?”
“So stop treating her like a challenge.”
The room stills.
Lani’s eyes sharpen.
“I’m not a trophy,” she says before Kai can respond.
“I know,” I reply quietly, and my gaze doesn’t leave hers.
Kai scoffs. “You think I don’t know that too?”
“I think you don’t know when to stop pushing.”
“And you do?” he shoots back.
Yes. But I haven’t been pushing at all. That’s the problem.
“I’m not competing with you,” I say.
Kai’s mouth twists. “Could’ve fooled me.”
Lani steps back slightly, watching the exchange like she’s trying to read the current underneath it.
“You’re both ridiculous,” she mutters.
Maybe. But this isn’t about pride.
It’s about the way she leans toward fire and forgets that grounding is a choice too.
“You don’t have to choose between reaction and restraint,” I say to her quietly.
Her brows draw together. “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re allowed to want more than spark.”
Kai scowls. “Jesus, Koa.”
“Shut up,” I reply, not looking at him.
The words land heavier than I expect because he actually goes quiet for once.
Lani’s attention sharpens on me, something assessing in her expression.