CHAPTER 34: SCARS BENEATH THE MOONLIGHT
Catleya had always imagined that love would strike like lightning—sudden, fierce, and impossible to ignore. That’s how it had been with Noah, once. A storm that crashed into her world and lit her soul on fire. But like most wildfires, it had left behind nothing but ash.
But this—what she felt now—it crept in like dawn. Soft. Relentless. Warm where she expected cold.
And it terrified her more than any chain ever had.
She sat near the old hearth, her legs drawn close to her chest, a thin blanket draped over her shoulders. The flames crackled quietly, casting shadows that danced along the stone walls. Outside, wind howled through the trees, but in here… it was safe. Too safe.
Caelum sat across from her, sharpening a blade with slow, careful strokes
