The dawn was gray, muted, a veil of cloud smothering the sun. Ariana stirred, her body still aching from the storm of the night before. She lay tangled in Kael’s arms, his chest rising and falling against her back, his arm an iron band around her waist as though even in sleep he feared she might slip away.
Her eyes burned from the tears she had shed. The fight lingered inside her bones, the sharp words, the accusations, the snarled threats. But beneath it all was the bond, insatiable and merciless, dragging her back to him no matter how much she wanted to resist.
Kael stirred, his breath ghosting against the curve of her neck. His voice was a low rumble, rough with sleep and something heavier. “You’re awake.”
She didn’t move. “So are you.”
His grip tightened. “I thought maybe you’d run
