KAELON’S POV

I froze. My chest tightened as her words settled into me, reverberating through my bones.

Because I want you.

It was the answer I hadn’t expected. And yet, it was the answer I had been longing for.

I turned to her, my heart pounding in my chest. Her eyes met mine, and there was something in her gaze—something raw, something vulnerable, that made everything else fade into the background.

“Liv...” I started, my voice barely a whisper, thick ...