You weren’t trying to make him jealous.

It just sort of… happened.

The guy was new, a technician from another sector—friendly, charming in a loud kind of way, and clearly unaware of who you belonged to. You’d been talking to him by the workstations, laughing politely at something dumb he said about the malfunctioning comms system when you felt it.

That shift in the air.

You didn’t even have to turn around. The sharp tingle at the back of your neck was enough to tell you Aaron had entered the room—and that he wasn’t thrilled.

Your gaze flicked toward the doorway anyway, just in time to catch the smallest twitch in his jaw, the subtle narrowing of his eyes. He didn’t move. Just stood there in his tailored black coat, arms crossed, watching.

The technician didn’t seem to notice. He kept talking. He leaned a little closer.

You took a step back.

That’s when Aaron moved.

Not quickly, not aggressively. Just… deliberately. Like a shadow slipping forward. The kind of quiet, lethal energy that turned heads without needing to raise a voice.

He came to stand beside you, close enough that his shoulder brushed yours. His hand found the small of your back—possessive, grounding.

“Love,” he said, smoothly, “who’s your friend?”

You blinked. That word always curled warm in your chest. But there was a definite sharpness to the way he said it now—love, almost like a warning, a reminder.

The technician offered his hand to shake. “Hey, I’m Mark. I just transferred from Sector 9.”

Aaron didn’t take his hand.

He didn’t even look at it.

Instead, he looked at you. Only you.

“Didn’t know we were making friends today.”

You coughed lightly. “He was just helping with the comms issue.”

“Mm,” Aaron said, and his thumb started to move in slow circles at your lower back. Comforting? Territorial? Maybe both. “How helpful.”

Mark shifted, finally picking up on the tone. “Well—anyway, I should get back to the lab.”

Aaron didn’t respond. Just waited until the man left and the door hissed shut behind him.

Then there was silence.

You turned to him. “That was a little much, don’t you think?”

He arched a brow. “Was it?”

“Yes.” You gave him a look. “You scared him off.”

“Good.”