to silen

peacef

hat felt l

g itself was holding its breath. The mark on my neck had f

ying to force myself to breathe normally. The

still

was n

re

ut of bed and wal

at stared back at

around my face. I looked like a girl who had been chosen

llowe

if I was ang

b

nly, and a servant st

st, Elara," s

tray on the tab

," she add

I asked, my

away, her eyes shini

thing," sh

art t

erstand. I d

nd forced myself to

ce wasn't just a

reactio

his mate, and he had chosen

y food quick

g outside

vant fl

careful,"

and left

Warriors were training, servants were carrying

dle of it all and

was there, b

catch som

looked awa

t hurrie

ups didn't

st tig

e training ground where

en I s

e I sa

ring again, watching the warriors train.

notice m

epped forward, his

ed sharply, l

it in m

as a

at

him

that he ha

that the b

that he coul

didn'

t come t

st st

llowe

anoth

ano

my chest, and the b

the edge of

I said

dn't

ied

ae

es nar

want?" he a

t deeper tha

understan

w tigh

d to understan

said, my voi

t me like I w

sn't questi

er rise inside

oesn't q

doesn

serve to know why

es bu

eath, forcing my

your permission to e

ulsed agai

pression

mething in his eyes th

gr

ickly, replaced by

ponsibiliti

w," I

ng this is just abo

hit me lik

at him,

tending," I

forward, his

," he said. "And the pa

art p

lling me we

eyes

what you are," he

nd scr

with

h r

humil

a ste

that," I said, voice

gaze ha

t my mate,

the wor

oat we

am I?" I

at me like I

said. "A bond th

ds were

weren't s

e the moment the b

't his

his mi

there,

lsed like a

it

omple

o leave me f

turne

enter of the clearing,

rs watched

stepp

said an

wanted to be

ne dared to chal

for a moment,

ned and wa

, pulling me back tow

igno

lled by something that

way from t

rom th

who had claimed me a

he forest again

now where

w I could

being treated

ond was being

Kael didn

ain, its silence wrapping

d and leaned my ba

eyes and tri

ulsed again, l

it felt like

hing

I couldn

yes and looke

was st

ance, the cloud

m was

y bones, that my life