The fortress was quiet after the battle, but Elias felt the silence pressing heavier than the clash of steel. The confession hung in the air, fragile, waiting for the world to shatter beneath it.
Kieran hadn’t let go of him since. He guided Elias into his quarters, shutting the heavy door behind them. For a long moment, he just stood there, staring, as though memorizing every line of Elias’s face.
“You should hate me,” Elias murmured, voice barely audible.
Kieran’s response was swift. “Don’t you dare say that.” He stepped forward, crowding Elias against the wall, but his touch was gentle, fingertips brushing Elias’s jaw. “You are not your father. You are mine. My Beta. My mate.”
Elias’s chest tightened. He wanted to believe it, wanted to drown in it. But shadows gnawed at the edges. “T
