Jagger smoothed the last bit of the cooling paste over the red mark on her neck. His thumb lingered, tracing the line of her collarbone before he slowly pulled his hand away.
Cora pulled the fur tighter around her shoulders, desperate to break the suffocating, intimate silence.
"I... I'm hungry," she blurted out, her voice cracking slightly.
The hard lines of Jagger's face softened instantly. He stood up and walked back to the fire pit. He grabbed the remaining slab of raw meat and jammed it onto a stick, holding it over the flames.
The smell of burning fat and raw blood filled the air again. Cora's stomach twisted. She couldn't eat another bite of that tasteless, gamey ash.
She remembered the loot box.
Cora slipped her hand under the furs, pretending to reach into a pocket, and mentally commanded DAISY to extract the jar of High-Purity Synthetic Salt.
A small, smooth clay jar materialized in her palm.
Jagger pulled the meat from the fire. He used his bone knife to slice the most tender piece, placing it on a broad green leaf, and handed it to her. His golden eyes watched her, waiting for her approval.
Cora took the leaf. She popped the cork off the clay jar, pinched a generous amount of the sparkling white crystals between her fingers, and sprinkled it evenly over the charred meat.
Jagger's eyes narrowed instantly. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand. "What is that? Poison powder?"
Cora offered a small, nervous smile. "No. It's magic. It makes food taste good. Try it."
She tore off a small piece of the salted meat and held it up to his lips.
Jagger looked at the meat, then at her delicate fingers. He leaned forward and opened his mouth, taking the meat and her fingertips past his lips.
Cora gasped, her face flushing hot as she quickly yanked her hand back.
Jagger chewed.
Suddenly, he stopped. His eyes widened in absolute shock.
The pure, intense burst of salt hit his tongue, cutting through the foul, gamey taste of the meat and elevating the flavor to something he had never experienced in his life.
In his world, salt was scraped from bitter, toxic dirt. Pure white salt was a myth, a luxury reserved only for the highest royalty of the Empire.
He swallowed hard, his gaze snapping to the small clay jar in her hand.
"This is... pure salt," Jagger said, his voice tight with disbelief. "Where did you get this?"
He looked at Cora, really looked at her. Her flawless skin, her strange clothes, and now, a king's ransom of pure salt casually pulled from nowhere.
In his mind, the pieces clicked together. She wasn't just a weak outsider. She was someone of immense power, perhaps a lost noble from a hidden, advanced tribe.
"Who are you?" he demanded, stepping closer, his massive frame towering over her.
Cora's heart raced. She couldn't tell him about DAISY. "It's... it's just something from my home. I brought it with me."
Jagger studied her face. He knew she was lying, but he didn't care. Whatever secrets she held, she was his.
Suddenly, Jagger stepped into her space, his massive frame caging her against the stone wall. The movement was so abrupt and dominant it startled Cora.
He reached out, his large hand wrapping firmly around her waist, pulling her flush against the hard, hot plane of his chest. She could feel the heavy, rapid thud of his heart beneath his hot skin.
"I don't care where you came from," Jagger said, his voice a low, possessive rumble that vibrated through her bones. "You are mine."
He looked down at her, his golden eyes burning with a fierce, unwavering light.
"You will be my mate. There is no other choice. I will mark you, and I will slaughter anything that dares to look at what belongs to me."
It was a vow. A raw, primitive proposal of marriage.
Cora stared at him, her breath caught in her throat. The intensity of his devotion was intoxicating, but the reality of this brutal world crashed down on her.
She gently pulled her hand back, breaking the contact.
"Jagger... it's too fast," she whispered, looking away. "I need time."
