The storm had not ceased by the time Kaelen dismissed the council that night. The skies raged above the fortress like an omen, thunder splitting the heavens while rain battered the stone walls. Torches hissed and flickered in the halls, casting shadows that stretched like claws.
Kaelen walked the length of his private chambers, restless, his wolf pacing inside him. His body demanded stillness, but his mind would not grant it. Selene’s voice echoed over and over in his head, her shrill accusations clawing at his thoughts.
She bewitched you. She poisoned your mind. She’ll destroy you.
And then Aria’s quiet defiance answered it.
This is me. Not witchcraft. Not lies.
The glow of her hands lingered in his vision no matter how tightly he closed his eyes. That silver radiance had not been da
