The fire in Kael’s private study had burned low, casting the chamber in a restless flicker of shadows. The room smelled faintly of aged leather, parchment, and smoke, the scent of authority. Ariana had been left here alone while Kael handled an urgent matter with his Beta. He hadn’t wanted her roaming, but the command to stay put grated at her.
Possessiveness was his language now. The intensity in his voice when he said, “Don’t move from this room until I return,” still echoed in her ears.
At first, she had sat obediently on the armchair near the fire, curling her hands in her lap. But the longer he stayed away, the heavier the silence became. Her gaze wandered, pulled toward the many bookshelves lining the walls, the polished oak desk strewn with papers, and the relics from past battles
