Kaelen's POV
I stand frozen near the back, my body pressed into the shadows of the elite crowd, press cameras flashing intermittently around me, but none of it registers. The hum of whispers, the clinking of champagne glasses, the polite gasps of the onlookers—all of it fades beneath the thundering weight in my chest. My eyes are glued to the stage, every nerve in my body keyed to the tension unfolding before me.
Darian. He’s here. I see him first, sharp and lethal, already positioned between Serenity and Alpha Veyra. Relief hits me first, a jolt of gratitude that she won’t be facing this alone—but it’s immediately twisted with irritation. That damn man has this infuriating habit of inserting himself into situations I’m supposed to handle. He’s like a fly, buzzing where he shouldn’t be,
