Kael remained in the woods long after Seraphine left.
The silence around him should have been calming.
It wasn't. Every thought in his head kept circling back to the same thing and the same person.
The same impossible problem.
Caroline, he had heard Seraphine call her name.
His mate.
A human.
Kael let out a frustrated breath.
Seraphine's question continued to echo in his mind.
Are you going to reject her?
At the time he hadn't answered.
But now, standing alone beneath the trees, he knew what had to be done.
He had to reject her.
The realization settled heavily in his chest.
He had no choice.
A human mate would bring nothing but problems.
For her...for him and the kingdom.
The council would never accept it.
The noble families would never accept it.
His enemies would see h
