Kael – POV
It hits without warning.
Not like hunger.
Not like anger.
Like recognition.
The moment Elara stands there still, uncertain, watching me as if I might vanish if she blinks my wolf stirs. No. That’s too gentle a word.
He surges.
A deep, visceral pull tears through my chest, sharp enough to make my breath hitch. My fingers curl at my sides as heat coils low and tight, spreading through my veins like fire meeting oil.
Mine.
The word echoes in my skull, heavy and instinctive.
I groan before I can stop myself, the sound torn from somewhere deeper than pride or control. Pain and pleasure twist together pressure, longing, something ancient waking after a long silence.
My wolf presses forward, restless, demanding.
Her.
I close my eyes for a fraction of a second, jaw tighteni
