The silence between them stretched like a taut wire ready to snap. Ariana sat frozen at the edge of the bed, her entire body trembling as if the weight of the vision had bled into her bones. Across from her, Kael stood rigid, his golden eyes fixed on her as though he could hold her together with his gaze alone.
But nothing could undo what she had seen. Nothing could erase the blood that now stained every memory of his touch.
She broke the silence first, her voice raw. “Tell me the truth.”
Kael’s expression didn’t change. He was carved from stone, his shoulders squared, jaw tight, every inch of him Alpha. But Ariana refused to be cowed.
“You owe me answers,” she continued, her hands fisting in the sheets. “Was it real? Did I see what I think I saw?”
Kael’s eyes flickered, just slightly
