woke to

ith danger. This was gentler. Softer. The kind that wrapped around her like sil

th a scent that made her pulse stir before her mind even caught up-Kael. She sat up slowly, t

hing the flicker of flame, casting

was

ns. No

bedside table, along with a silver founta

s twitched

ce murmured.

ng to his damp skin, his dark hair tousled like he'd been r

said, crossing to her. "Yo

line as she reached for

re the

ords as she tur

ing. We've sealed the territory. No

d and wro

n't tr

erstand. And you..." He stepped closer, voice lowering

uc

lse ki

it. F

voice thickening, "

ote on

h

"Because the moment I saw you, every instinct I h

ote qu

me without

fli

bleeding out. I thought you'd die. My wolf took co

ghtened. She

decide what sav

, reading her words

fter a long silence. "But

Instead, she reach

n't

on the page li

l f

do you

es, steady, an

el her. But I haven't s

edge of the bed, brow

osing the faint remains of a sigil etched

id this

odded

ho

wr

tc

his throat. "You're

odded

on his knees. "Th

d, surprise flicker

ed to trap you." His voice was rough, full of gravel and promi

slid down

rgy had

essive. M

. dang

nce the moment I marked you," he w

ened-but she d

irst, brushing a loose strand of hair from

rasped, "an

't say a

't b

't w

tared

ing sh

it for w

mis

She tensed instinctively, the memories of pain

l didn'

und the edge of his shirt, fisting it as she pulled him closer. He groaned into

he said, voi

ob

command-b

e other brushing the hollow of her throat. "You

skin was marred with scars, old sigils long since faded

aze didn

sed ev

ipped

acred," h

rve of her breast, tongue circling slowly aroun

reverent, revealing thighs that t

up, eyes s

you wan

for the pen,

g-she flipped the jou

rew a

savage, triu

h, tongue tracing the ridge of her hip

ured, dragging two fingers through h

her-circling, stroking, pulling

v

ov

writhing, le

me," Kael

e

ver her, tongue sliding

dug into t

ies echoed on

er like she was

ing, bucking, her bod

sto

her t

he b

demanded. "Sa

ks from the pressure, the p

ips m

ur

en them pulsed

ontrol s

rfectly, while his mouth sucked her cli

vulsed, light burst

lv

lli

ndi

on her arm

oom s

nd them cracked

back, breathl

len

sa

ed silver, mo

her chest came a

t time-her w

th

ght va

against the pillows

to her sid

d her eye

scr

sou

e, prima

ough the bond

heart s

this was

s awa

nt inside her had j