The air changed the moment Kael stepped closer.
Not metaphorically.
Physically.
The street seemed to tighten around him, city noise dimming beneath the crushing weight of his presence. Passing humans instinctively crossed to the opposite sidewalk without understanding why.
Predators recognized greater predators.
Even unconsciously.
My former mate went completely still beside me.
Every muscle in his body locked tight.
Alpha instincts colliding violently with survival.
Kael emerged from the shadows slowly, dark coat shifting in the cold wind, silver eyes fixed entirely on the man standing in front of me.
Not angry.
Worse.
Calm.
The kind of calm that came before kingdoms burned.
“So,” Kael said quietly, “you finally found her.”
The Alpha’s jaw clenched hard.
His gaze flicked t
