Cedric stood frozen, his gaze dropping slowly to his forearm where Lyanna's fingers had just been.
He looked at the broken skin and the small beads of dark crimson blood surfacing on his flesh, then he slowly lifted his head to look at Lyanna.
His eyes were wide, practically screaming the question that his pride wouldn't allow him to voice aloud. Why on earth did you just pinch me?
For her part, Lyanna felt a wave of genuine awkwardness wash over her.
She had not expected her newfound strength to be so volatile that a simple pinch would actually draw blood and tear through the thick, resilient skin of an Alpha.
She stood there, trying to maintain a neutral expression while her mind raced.
She could see Avelina standing nearby, waiting with bated breath for whatever explanation Cedric was about to offer.
Lyanna knew Cedric's character well enough by now; he was a man of blunt honesty who currently held no defenses against Avelina's manipulative charms.
