Chapter 16
The Male Waiting Outside
Kael stepped away from me slowly.
Not because he wanted distance.
Because heartbreak physically forced it into him.
I immediately regretted the hesitation.
“Kael—”
“No.”
His voice remained calm somehow, which hurt more than shouting would have.
The Alpha turned toward the dark bedroom windows, broad shoulders rigid beneath the dim firelight while silence stretched painfully between us.
The mating bond trembled weakly.
Injured.
My chest ached.
“I didn’t mean—”
“You didn’t mean to hesitate?”
The quiet question sliced cleanly through me.
Kael finally looked back at me.
And Moon Goddess—
the devastation in his eyes nearly destroyed me.
Because he understood now.
Part of me wanted Draven to stay.
Not because I planned betrayal.
Not becau
