Alera's Pov
His lips had unraveled me.
Every part of me burned from my fingertips to my very soul.
Kael had kissed me like he was claiming me, like he had been waiting for this moment forever. And I… I had given in completely.
Now, I lay in his arms, exhausted, my chest rising and falling in rhythm with his. His hand stroked through my hair, his fingers gentle, soothing, as though he knew exactly how to calm the storm raging inside me.
His heartbeat.
I could hear it.
A steady, strong rhythm beneath my ear, grounding me in a way I never knew I needed.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, still hazy, still caught in the intensity of what had just happened between us. And there he was watching me.
Kael’s gaze was deep, burning… consuming.
I felt my breath hitch, and instinctively, I bit my li
