The inner chamber still smelled of ozone and blood from the hybrid experiment. Morten's announcement had barely finished echoing through the halls when Catherine shut the heavy doors behind them with a solid thud.
No one spoke at first. The five women looked at Aiden like he belonged to them again, and they meant to prove it right now.
Catherine moved first. She always did when it mattered. She pushed Aiden backward onto the wide, low bed covered in furs and worn blankets. Her hands were rough from years of fighting, her grip firm on his chest.
"On our terms," she said, voice low and final. "No cold calculations. No holding back. She doesn't get to rewrite what we are."
She stripped off her shirt and climbed over him, straddling his hips. Her breasts hung heavy as she leaned down, eyes locked on his.
