Not Just Instinct
Meanwhile, Jake stood near the nursery door, arms folded tightly across his chest, saying nothing as he stared at the handle. Mia could tell he was trying to stay calm, but his posture gave him away. He was still treating this like a situation that needed to be solved. For him, a snake was a creature of patterns and instinct.
It searched for heat, food, shelter, nothing more. He didn’t want to talk about bonds or memory or anything that blurred the line between natural and unnatural. But Mia was no longer convinced this was simple animal behavior. Nimbus hadn’t just appeared; he had waited until Ava was home.