ARIA
Kael was gone when morning came. His side of the bed was cold, the sheets smooth where he should have been. That absence lingered longer than it should have. When the door opened, it wasn’t him. Corvin stood there instead, solid and unmoving.
“Am I your guard now?” I asked while pulling my hair back and tying it off. The door shut behind me with a soft click. My body still felt aware in a way that was hard to ignore.
Kael had held me through the night. Not for s*x. Not for obligation. He had held me like he needed it. Like letting go wasn’t an option.
That part didn’t bother me. I didn’t hate it. What burned was the timing. Now that there was proof, now that the truth couldn’t be denied, he wanted to be gentle. Kind. Careful.
That should have come earlier. Belief should have c
