The moment we stepped into Kael’s tent, I realized it was larger than I had expected it to be from the outside. Dimly lit by lanterns that cast flickering shadows over the canvas walls. The smell of fire and leather hung heavy in the air, and I couldn’t help but shiver — half from cold, half from fear of what was to come. My pulse pounded in my ears, every nerve screaming that I should run, that I should fight, that I should do something.
Kael’s hold on me didn’t loosen, but the way he set me down, careful yet commanding, made my chest twist with conflicting emotions. He was so confident, so sure of himself, and yet there was something… protective in the way he regarded me.
“Step over here,” he said, his voice low, velvety, and laced with that infuriating charm I hated so badly. I obeyed
