I had been avoiding the training grounds all morning, but it was useless. The bond was restless inside me, tugging at my chest, whispering that they were near.
Every time I passed someone in the corridors, I half expected it to be Alpha Kael or Alpha Riven, their scents curling around me like smoke and rain.
I told myself I was going to the grounds for air. I told myself I needed space to think. But the truth was simpler. The pull had worn down my will, and I needed to see them.
The moment I stepped out onto the packed dirt, my pulse spiked. Kael was there, his broad back turned to me as he spoke with two of his lieutenants.
The late morning sun caught in his dark hair, his posture radiating that steady, controlled power that made the air feel heavier.
On the far side of the grounds,
