THE HEIR’S HUMAN MATE

Warm breaths mixed between them as the woman beneath Kael pulled him into another kiss, slower this time, deeper than before. Her fingers tangled into his dark hair while his hand slid along her waist beneath the silk sheets, drawing a soft gasp from her lips. Moonlight spilled across bare skin and tangled fabric, silver light stretching through the dark chamber while quiet sounds filled the silence between them. She moved against him desperately, already consumed by the attention he gave her, but Kael remained composed even while kissing her harder, even while her nails dragged lightly across his chest like she wanted to leave pieces of herself behind on him. “You drive me insane,” she whispered breathlessly against his mouth. A faint smirk touched his lips before he kissed her again. To her, the moment probably felt intoxicating. To Kael, it had started feeling empty long before it ended. That was the problem. No matter who touched him, no matter how beautiful they were, the feeling never lasted beyond the moment itself. Desire came easily enough. Intimacy did too. But afterward there was always silence. Always distance. Always the same strange emptiness settling beneath his skin once everything became still again. Later, the woman lay against the pillows trying to steady her breathing while Kael stood near the balcony fastening the sleeves of his black shirt. The night air drifting into the room was colder now, carrying the scent of rain from somewhere beyond the capital walls. “You always go cold afterward,” she murmured softly. Kael glanced toward her briefly. “Do I?” She studied him for a moment before giving a faint smile and pulling the sheets higher against herself. “It’s like you disappear somewhere else.” Maybe he did. At this point, Kael barely noticed it anymore. The woman hesitated before asking quietly, “Will you call for me again?” Kael looked out over the empire before answering. “Maybe.” It was the same answer he always gave. Not cruel enough to wound. Not honest enough to mean anything. A flicker of disappointment crossed her face before she buried it beneath another smile. “You really are impossible.” Kael said nothing. A few minutes later, the chamber doors closed behind her, leaving silence in her place. The silence felt more natural than company ever did. Kael stepped fully onto the balcony, resting his arms against the cold stone railing as he looked over the sleeping capital below. Even this late into the night, lights still burned through parts of the city while guards moved through the streets like shadows beneath the moonlight. Everything looked peaceful. Exactly how Emperor Aldric preferred it. Kael tilted his head slightly toward the night sky, jaw tightening faintly as the full moon stared back at him from above. Mates. The word irritated him more with every passing year. Growing up, every elder spoke about the mate bond like it was sacred. The gods’ perfect design. One look, one scent, one touch — that was supposedly all it took to recognize the person created for you. Kael had spent years waiting to feel something that never came. Not with noblewomen. Not with warriors. Not with anyone. At this point, he was beginning to think the gods had either forgotten him entirely… or decided he deserved nothing at all. “You look miserable for a man who was moaning someone’s name an hour ago.” Kael didn’t bother turning around. “You should learn how to knock.” Ronan walked onto the balcony carrying a bottle in one hand and two glasses in the other. “And miss another tragic ending to one of your love stories? Never.” Kael accepted the glass handed to him before taking a slow sip. “You’re dramatic.” “I’m observant.” Ronan leaned casually against the railing beside him before smirking slightly. “So, which noble daughter was this one?” Kael stared down at the city lights below. “I forgot her name.” Ronan burst out laughing immediately. “That bad?” “That forgettable.” “Cruel.” Kael shrugged lightly, though the expression never reached his eyes. For a moment silence settled comfortably between them as they overlooked the empire together. Ronan was one of the few people alive who understood when to speak and when not to. Most people around Kael either feared him too much or wanted something from him badly enough to become exhausting. Ronan did neither. Eventually, Ronan glanced sideways toward him. “You’re thinking about the mate bond again.” Kael’s jaw tightened slightly. That alone answered enough. Ronan sighed before taking another drink. “Maybe your mate is hiding from you.” “Smart woman.” “That level of self-pity is embarrassing coming from the future emperor.” Kael let out a quiet laugh beneath his breath, though it disappeared almost instantly. The truth was, he did not envy the stories elders told about mates the way most wolves did. He envied the certainty. The idea that somewhere in the world existed one person capable of making everything feel less empty. One person who could look at you and know you completely. Kael had spent years surrounded by people and still somehow felt alone inside every crowded room he entered. Before Ronan could speak again, three sharp knocks echoed from inside the chamber. Both men turned toward the doors as a royal guard stepped inside and lowered his head immediately. “My prince.” Kael straightened slightly. “What is it?” The guard hesitated for only a second before speaking. “His Majesty requests your presence in the throne hall immediately.” Silence followed instantly. Ronan slowly exhaled beside him. “Well,” he muttered, “that definitely cannot be good.” No. It definitely wasn’t.