The days that followed were agonizingly slow. Alaric and I continued our training sessions, but the unspoken tension between us only grew stronger. Every touch, every glance, was charged with a longing that we both tried—and failed—to ignore.
One evening, as I sat by the fire in the packhouse, lost in thought, my sister Elaira joined me. She studied me for a moment before speaking. “You’ve been different lately,” she said, her tone teasing but laced with concern.
I shrugged, not meeting her gaze. “Just a lot on my mind.”
Elaira’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Is it a certain hybrid warrior who’s been occupying your thoughts?”
I shot her a glare, but she only laughed. “It’s obvious, you know. The way you two look at each other… it’s like you’re the only two people in the world.”
I felt
