By the time we reached the house, the night had wrapped itself around Polaris like a velvet blanket. The stars shimmered above us — impossibly close, impossibly bright — as if the heavens themselves wanted to watch whatever was about to happen.
Kael held the door open for me, his hand brushing mine as I passed him, and even that small touch sent a spark racing through me. I hated how easy it was — how natural it all felt between us. And honestly... it felt as if my own body was betraying me.
Inside, the house was warm, filled with the faint scent of pine and something faintly smoky from the fireplace he must’ve lit earlier today. We didn’t say a word as we walked up the stairs. The sound of our footsteps on the old wood echoed through the quiet like a heartbeat.
When we reached the hall
