( Kael's POV )
The sound of boots on wet earth closed in from every direction. Heavy. Disciplined. Dozens, no, more. My pulse climbed until it filled my ears, louder than the thunder of their approach. Kael’s body went rigid beside me, every line of him bristling with the kind of stillness that came before the storm.
Darius met his gaze. No words, just the grim understanding of men who had seen death wear too many faces.
“We can’t fight them head-on,” Darius said quietly. “Not this many. Not with her...”
Kael’s growl cut him off, low and raw. “I will not run.”
“Then you’ll die,” Darius snapped, stepping closer, his voice sharp as the steel in his hand. “And so will she. And the child.”
The silence that followed was thin and trembling. Kael’s jaw tightened, golden eyes flicking towar
