The Healer and Her God

Chapter 15

Kaelen

The world smelled different after her.

Eria slept curled against me, her breath warm against my chest, her hair tangled in my fingers like silken threads I never wanted to let go of. For the first time in centuries, I felt… quiet. Whole.

But gods are not allowed peace for long.

The fire in the hearth sputtered low, shadows crawling along the stone walls. Outside, the wind carried more than the night’s chill. A shift. A warning.

I eased Eria back onto the furs, brushing a kiss to her temple before rising. Her body stirred instinctively toward mine even in sleep, and it nearly undid me to step away. But the copper tang in the air was unmistakable. Blood.

I reached the doorway in silence, every sense stretched taut. My wolves were restless beyond the walls, claws scraping stone, low growls rumbling through the night. They’d scented it too.

“Kaelen.” Her voice was soft, but awake. I turned to see Eria sitting up, the blanket clutched to her chest, worry etched across her face. “What is it?”

I hesitated—she deserved honesty now, after what we’d shared. “We’re not alone.”

Her healer’s instinct was immediate. She scrambled for her satchel of herbs, though her hands shook. “Wounded?”

“Not ours.” My jaw clenched as a howl cut across the distance. It wasn’t one of mine. It was foreign. Wrong.

The peace of our union had lasted less than a night.