Chapter 5

The moment Kael disappeared into the shadows, I pressed my back to the cool stone wall and told myself—lied to myself—that my heart was only beating fast because I had walked too quickly down the corridor.

Definitely not because of him.

And absolutely not because I could still feel the heat of his gaze on my skin.

Nope. Totally not that.

---

The next morning, my plan was simple: avoid Kael, avoid Lucien, avoid any situation where my mouth might say something that would start an interspecies war.

It was a good plan.

It lasted about ten minutes.

Because exactly ten minutes after I woke up, there was a knock at my chamber door. Not the polite, almost-apologetic knock of a vampire servant. No—this knock was steady, deliberate… and far too confident.

I opened the door, and there he was.

Kael.

Leaning casually against the doorframe like he hadn’t nearly burned a hole through me with his eyes last night.

“Lady Astrid,” he said, his voice that same deep rumble, “care to walk with me?”

I blinked. “It’s morning.”

His mouth twitched. “Your powers of observation are unmatched.”

I narrowed my eyes, trying not to smile. “And why exactly would I walk with a man whose people have claws and a questionable attitude toward vampires?”

“Because,” he said, stepping a fraction closer, “I asked nicely.”

It wasn’t really nicely. It was more like the verbal equivalent of a wolf circling its prey, but against my better judgment, I found myself stepping out into the hall.

---

We walked through the castle gardens, the morning mist curling around us. The scent of roses mixed with something warmer, wilder—him.

He didn’t speak at first. Just let the silence stretch until I was seconds away from filling it with my usual awkward rambling.

Finally, he glanced at me, amber eyes sharp. “You don’t act like a vampire.”

“That’s because I’m… not like them,” I said. “Long story. Reincarnation. Past life. Lots of baggage.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. “You speak your mind.”

“I’ve noticed most people here don’t.”

“They can’t,” he said simply. “One wrong word can cost you your life.”

I tilted my head at him. “And you? Do you risk your life by talking to me like this?”

His grin was quick and dangerous. “Talking to you feels less like a risk… and more like a challenge.”

I told myself the sudden warmth in my cheeks was because the sun had just come out.

---

By midmorning, I’d somehow been talked into visiting the training yard with him. It wasn’t an official invitation—more like Kael said, “Come,” and my feet decided to obey before my brain could protest.

The yard was alive with motion—wolves sparring in their human forms, the clang of steel on steel echoing off the stone walls.

Kael stepped into the sandpit at the center, stripped off his outer coat, and picked up a practice blade. My brain promptly short-circuited.

His shirt clung to his shoulders and chest in ways I refused to mentally acknowledge.

“This isn’t a spectator sport,” he called to me. “Pick up a blade.”

I laughed. “You want me to fight you?”

He smirked. “Afraid?”

“Of you? Please. You’re basically a large, overgrown dog.”

The nearest wolf warrior inhaled sharply. I might have just offended half the yard.

Kael’s eyes lit with amusement. “Then prove it.”

I ended up holding a wooden sword that felt about twice my weight. Kael circled me slowly, his steps unhurried but deliberate, like he had all the time in the world to dismantle me.

“You hold it too tight,” he said.

“I’m trying not to drop it.”

“You drop it, you lose. You lose…” His voice dropped, “…you owe me a favor.”

My pulse jumped. “What kind of favor?”

His smile was pure wolf. “I’ll decide later.”

Before I could demand specifics, he moved. One moment he was three paces away, the next his blade was hooking mine, twisting it from my grip. It clattered to the sand.

“That was fast,” I said, trying not to sound breathless.

“That was easy,” he corrected. Then he stepped close—close enough that I could see the gold flecks in his amber eyes. “You fight like someone who’s never had to survive.”

“And you?” I challenged.

“I fight like someone who’s had no choice.”

For a moment, we just stood there, the sounds of the training yard fading until all I could hear was my own heartbeat.

Then, Kael bent slightly, murmuring so only I could hear: “Careful, little vampire. Keep looking at me like that, and I might forget we’re supposed to be allies.”

And just like that, he stepped back, leaving me standing in the sand with my pulse racing.

---

That evening, I sat by my bedroom window, looking out at the moonlit gardens. My thoughts kept circling back to him—the heat in his gaze, the way his voice seemed to curl around my name.

This was dangerous. He was dangerous.

But for the first time since waking up in this strange, deadly world, I wasn’t just afraid.

I was curious.

And I had a feeling curiosity would be my undoing.

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