KAEL’S POV
Pain shot through me, sharp and unrelenting, but it wasn’t just the wound in my body, it was the truth I could no longer ignore. The curse, once a silent predator in my veins, had changed. Its hunger now recognised her.
Her presence.
I tried to move, but my body refused. The dark veins under my skin burned for a moment, a cruel reminder that the magic inside me was now awake.
She saved me.
That thought should have been comforting, but instead it terrifies me. The bond we shared-fated, undeniable, was no longer just mine to bear. It tied her to this war, to the curse, and dangers I had fought for decades to keep her away from.
Her hand was warm against mine. She didn’t pull back when I stirred.
“You’re awake,” she said softly, yet I could feel the tension beneath her calm
