Chapter 10
Kael wakes to fire.
Not the kind that burns the skin—but the kind that tears through bone and breath, igniting every nerve until even thought feels like agony. His first instinct is to shift.
He can’t.
A low growl vibrates in his chest as consciousness drags him back into his body.
“He’s awake,” someone says urgently.
The scent of herbs and blood fills his lungs. Stone above him. Healing chamber.
Memory slams into him all at once.
The Rite.
Selene.
The cliff.
Lyra.
Kael surges forward, ignoring the pain. “Lyra!”
Hands press him back down. “Easy, Alpha,” the healer warns. “You shattered ribs, ruptured muscle, and burned through your core.”
He doesn’t care.
“My mate,” he rasps. “Where is she?”
The healer exhales slowly, then—smiles.
“She lives.”
Kael’s breath br
