The shadows in Kael's chambers seemed darker than usual as Elaine prepared for bed. The events of the council meeting still weighed on her mind: Kat's venomous stare, the casual brutality of policy discussions, and the way Kael had claimed her on that obsidian table like she was his most prized possession.
She slipped beneath the silk sheets, her body still humming from their earlier encounter. Kael emerged from his bathing chamber, water droplets clinging to his bare chest, his long black hair loose around his shoulders. In the candlelight, he looked almost ethereal, beautiful, and terrible all at once.
"You're quiet," he observed, sliding into bed beside her.
"Just thinking."
"About?" His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her against him.
"Everything. Today. The council. Kat." S
