Kael’s POV

The air between us hadn’t settled since the last surge. Every order I gave felt like an attempt to bury what still burned beneath. Mira stood beside me, silent, charged, the pull between us impossible to ignore. My wolf pressed under my skin, restless and urgent. Every movement she made tested the restraint I’d learned to wear like armor.

The guards had dispersed; we were alone by the outpost wall. I told myself to study the ridge, to check the border, but I didn’t move. The ...