CHAPTER THREE: THE SPACE BETWEEN US
1114 Words
Sleep did not come.
Seraphina lay on the cold stone floor beside the massive bed, wrapped in a thin fur that smelled unmistakably like him. Firelight danced across the ceiling, shadows stretching and shrinking like restless wolves.
Every breath hurt.
The rejected bond throbbed in her chest—dull, constant, impossible to ignore. Her wolf whimpered softly, confused and aching.
Above her, Kael lay rigid atop the bed.
He hadn’t moved since extinguishing most of the candles. He hadn’t said another word. His presence filled the room like a storm held back by will alone.
She could feel him.
Not touch—never that.
Awareness.
It curled around her spine, brushed against her thoughts, tugged at something deep inside her ribs. The bond was alive, furious at the rejection, reaching anyway.
She shifted, trying to find warmth.
The fur slid away from her shoulder.
Kael’s breath changed.
Sharp. Controlled. Dangerous.
“Stop moving,” he said into the darkness.
Her teeth chattered—not from cold. “I’m trying to sleep.”
“This floor is stone,” he replied flatly. “Stone doesn’t care.”
She bit back a bitter laugh. “Neither do you.”
Silence.
Then the bed creaked.
Her heart slammed into her throat.
Kael sat up slowly, moonlight slicing across his bare chest. He’d removed his armor—only dark trousers clung to his hips. Scars mapped his skin, proof of battles won and losses survived.
She forced herself not to stare.
“You enjoy provoking me,” he said.
“I enjoy breathing,” she answered. “You make that difficult.”
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
Now he was closer.
Too close.
The air thickened, heavy with unspoken things.
“You should hate me,” he said quietly.
She swallowed. “I’m trying.”
He huffed a humorless laugh. “Your body doesn’t agree.”
Her cheeks burned. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Kael crouched down, bringing himself eye-level with her.
The bond screamed.
Heat flared beneath her skin, sharp and disorienting. Her pulse leapt, her breath stuttered. His scent wrapped around her, dragging her under.
“You feel it,” he murmured. “Every second.”
She hated that her voice shook. “So do you.”
His jaw tightened.
For a moment—just a moment—his control cracked.
His hand hovered inches from her face.
Not touching.
Never touching.
“If I give in,” he said hoarsely, “I will destroy you.”
Her heart twisted. “You already are.”
The words landed hard.
Kael recoiled as if struck.
He stood abruptly, turning his back to her.
“I will not take comfort from the blood of my enemy,” he said coldly. “Sleep.”
She lay awake long after his breathing evened out.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged her under.
⸻
She dreamed of fire.
Of hands—strong and unyielding—pulling her close. Of teeth grazing her throat, of a growl whispered against her skin.
Mine.
She woke with a gasp.
Kael was standing over her.
Her body reacted instantly—heat pooling low, breath hitching, heart racing. The bond surged violently, aching for completion.
His eyes were dark.
Dangerously dark.
“You screamed,” he said.
“I—” She sat up, clutching the fur. “It was a dream.”
His gaze dropped—to her mouth. Her throat. The curve of her shoulder.
His restraint snapped for half a heartbeat.
He grabbed her wrist.
Pain flared—then something else.
Something electric.
Their skin touched.
Kael froze.
The moment their skin met, the world tilted.
Heat surged up Seraphina’s arm, spreading fast—too fast—curling into her chest like wildfire. She gasped, fingers tightening instinctively around his wrist.
The bond roared.
Kael’s breath hitched—just once—but she felt it, felt the way his control splintered beneath her touch.
“Let go,” he growled.
Her body refused.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “It hurts.”
It did.
The rejected bond flared violently now, punishing them both for denial. Pain and longing twisted together until she couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.
Kael swore under his breath.
He dropped to one knee in front of her, still gripping her wrist, his head bowed as if fighting something savage inside him.
“You don’t know what you’re doing to me,” he said hoarsely.
She laughed weakly. “I could say the same.”
His grip loosened—but instead of pulling away, his thumb brushed the inside of her wrist.
A mating point.
Lightning tore through her.
Seraphina cried out, collapsing forward. Kael caught her instantly, his other arm locking around her waist before she could hit the floor.
Their bodies pressed together.
Chest to chest.
Breath to breath.
Too much.
Too close.
Time stopped.
She could feel the rapid thunder of his heart. Smell the smoke and pine clinging to his skin. Feel the tremor in his arms as he held her like something precious—and dangerous.
His wolf surged.
Claim her.
Kael snarled, fighting it with every shred of will he possessed.
He shoved her away abruptly, stepping back as if burned.
“Get on the bed,” he ordered harshly. “Now.”
She stared at him, stunned.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Slowly, she obeyed, climbing onto the edge of the massive bed, her limbs still shaking. The fur swallowed her up, warm and soft in cruel contrast to the cold she’d endured on the floor.
Kael turned away, dragging a hand through his hair.
“This doesn’t change anything,” he said. “You are not my mate.”
Her chest tightened. “Then why does it feel like you’re lying?”
He spun around, eyes blazing.
“Because the Moon Goddess is cruel,” he snapped. “And because fate enjoys tormenting monsters.”
She held his gaze. “You’re not a monster.”
Something shattered behind his eyes.
He stalked toward her again—stopped just short of the bed.
“Sleep,” he said tightly. “If you collapse again, the bond will worsen.”
She hesitated. “And you?”
“I’ll be right here,” he said. “Watching.”
Her pulse skipped.
Slowly, she lay back, exhaustion finally dragging her under.
Kael remained standing long after her breathing evened out.
He stared at the faint glow of the mark on her wrist.
At the woman fate had chained to him.
“This is war,” he murmured to the silent room.
“And I am losing.”
- Writer
