Kaelen’s POV
The air in the council room was thick enough to choke an ordinary wolf, but I was barely paying attention to the border fights on the map.
Vesper was sitting to my right, her voice talking on and on about the northern tax rates and trade rules. She loved the sound of her own voice, and usually, I’d just nod along to keep the peace. But today, my skin was prickling with that same intense, uninvited heat.
The locked bond was humming in my veins, telling me exactly how close she was before I even heard her footsteps in the hall.
Right on cue, the heavy doors of the room swung open without a knock.
Every head at the long table snapped toward the entrance. Elara walked in, ignoring the royal guards who were supposed to announce her. She wasn't wearing the usual fancy dress e
