Aria could feel it—the distance Kael was putting between them.
After she had bared her soul to him, she had expected… something. Not silence. Not avoidance.
But Kael was slipping away, his silver eyes colder, his presence more distant.
And she hated that it hurt.
She found him outside the castle, standing at the edge of the cliff, staring into the stormy horizon.
"You've been avoiding me," she said.
Kael's jaw tightened. "I've been busy."
"Liar."
He turned to face her, and for a second, she saw the war in his eyes—wanting to be close but terrified of what that meant.
Before she could push him further, a low growl echoed behind her.
She spun just as a dark-furred wolf lunged at her.
She barely dodged the attack, landing hard on the rocky ground. The wolf shifted back mid-air, revealing a scarred warrior from Kael's pack. His golden eyes burned with fury.
"You don't belong here," he spat. "You're a threat!"
Kael was in front of her in an instant, his power crackling through the air.
"Stand down," he ordered, voice like thunder.
The warrior's body trembled, but his defiance remained. "She's dangerous! You feel it too, don't you?!"
Kael's hand shot out, gripping the man's throat. "You dare question me?"
The warrior choked, and after a moment of suffocating silence, Kael released him. "Try that again, and I'll rip out your throat."
The man staggered back, shifting into his wolf and running into the woods.
Aria's breath was shaky. "They want me dead."
Kael exhaled, his eyes shadowed. "They don't understand."
"Then make them understand!" she snapped. "Or do you regret bringing me here?"
Kael's fists clenched. "That's not—"
He stopped himself.
She stepped closer, her chest brushing his. "Then why are you pushing me away?"
Kael's gaze dropped to her lips for just a second.
His hand lifted as if he wanted to touch her—then he pulled back, retreating.
"Because you make me forget who I am," he whispered. "And that is dangerous."
He turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, heart hammering, body aching.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream at him or chase after him.
But one thing was clear—something between them was breaking.