VELARA’S POV
The door had barely shut behind us when the air between Kael and me shifted, dense, electric, heavy with unspoken truth. Tension coiled around us like the tightening grip of a storm about to break. My lungs felt constricted, every breath strained beneath the burden I had carried for far too long. As I looked into his face, his innocent, open face, I realized I couldn’t keep it hidden any longer. He deserved to know.“Alpha Damon...” I began, my voice barely more than a whisper, trembling with the force of the confession. “He’s your father. He’s also... the man I’m bonded to.”Kael’s eyes narrowed in confusion, his brows knitting tightly together. “Then why are you saying it isn’t safe?” he asked, his voice teetering on the edge of hope. “He has a whole pack. He could keep us safe. We could finally be a real family.”I lowered myself to the floor, crouching until I was eye level with him, trying to hold on to the fragile connection bet
