"Focus on the seal," Maelina instructed. "Do not let your thoughts wander."
Eliora obeyed, inhaling slowly. She felt the faint tug of him again but this time it was different. It was stronger.
She shivered immediately, feeling a flush crawling over her skin.
"Maelina." she whispered, shifting uncomfortably.
Maelina's eyes narrowed. "Stop frowning. That reaction, your body, what you feel, is his desire."
Eliora froze, "His… desire? This intense?"
"Yes, his desire for you," Maelina confirmed. "But you are only sensing a fraction of it. The rest… he restrains."
Heat pooled in her skin, climbing over her neck and chest.
"Eliora, control yourself!"
"I can't!" Eliora gasped, clutching her knees with her fingers. "He… he desires me this much, and yet he stays away. He stays away!"
"Enough," Maelina said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your body temperature has risen too high. You are dangerously agitated. You must stop this now."
