KAEL
He laughed heartily as he tapped my back with surprising strength for someone who'd just emerged from weeks in a coma.
"Don't worry, Kael," he teased. "I'm not going anywhere… at least not yet. Besides, it'll take more than a little coma to get rid of me." He leaned back against the pillows. "How have you been?"
I held onto him a moment longer. Relief flooding me so fiercely it nearly choked me. "It wasn't the same without you," I admitted, pulling back to meet his gaze. "But I'm glad you're back. You can appraise everything yourself now."
Just then, his expression turned somber. He glanced around the room, catching each elder's eyes in turn before settling his gaze back on me. With a deep sigh, he spoke.
"I heard that Alpha Darius didn't make it…"
The room fell silent instantly
