---
Their movements became more natural as the strange awkwardness between them slowly disappeared beneath the urgency of the situation.
Sekhmet's hands remained careful.
Elena's did not need to be. She pulled him closer and let him feel that he did not need to treat her as something fragile.
When Sekhmet's strength increased unconsciously, her body handled it easily. That alone made the choice of Elena seem even more necessary.
Any of the others could have been badly injured from a careless movement.
Elena barely noticed.
The System appeared again.
[Host aggression remains successfully redirected.
Bloodlust stabilization beginning.
Current condition remains dangerous but no longer immediately progressing toward total control loss.]
Sekhmet paused.
That was the first genuinely good message he had received since the Bloodlust began rising.
Elena noticed him looking inward again.
"It is improving?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
