---
At the same time, as the night deepened in Dawn House, something shifted inside Sekhmet's mind.
As Lily stayed against him, still warm from feeding, still breathing with that unsteady softness that only came after blood and closeness mixed too deeply to separate, something strange passed through Sekhmet's body.
At first, it did not feel wrong.
It felt stronger.
The bond between them had gone deeper than before tonight. Not only because of marriage. Not only because of desire. This time there was a battle behind it. Choice behind it. Lily had hunted, judged, killed, fed, and then come to him carrying all of that in her blood. Her body was no longer reacting like a newborn creature learning hunger. It was reacting like something awakened.
And his blood answered. That was the dangerous part. It was not pain but recognition.
