(Kael's POV)The instant that door clicked, I spun around—yeah, again. I’d been pacing like a ghost with unfinished business. Hated every second, but it’s not like I could stop.Then Alaric walked in, and, honestly, the whole pacing drama vanished. I shot straight for him—didn’t even pause to think. He just dropped whatever he was holding and wrapped me up, like I was something holy he’d been wishing for forever.I held onto him like gravity was about to clock out or something.“Sorry I took so long,” he whispered into my hair, his voice dropping into that little velvet-soft bubble that was just ours—warm and sweet, packed with all the stuff he never really says but you just know he feels.I didn’t answer. Didn’t have to. Just let myself inhale him—woodsmoke, heat, that midnight rain smell that always settled me, even when I was still shaking from that ridiculous circus at the King’s court.He pulled back, brushed a wild strand of hair behind my ear. “Come with me,” he said, voice gen
The hallway was quiet except for the soft, rhythmic sound of Kael’s sandals and the heavier thud of Alaric’s boots as they strolled back toward their chamber.Kael’s arm looped around Alaric’s, his other hand resting on the small swell of his belly. The moonlight cast a soft glow on his features, pale and fragile and full of a warmth Alaric had come to depend on.They were almost at the door when a guard stepped into their path and bowed. “Your Highness, forgive the interruption. His Majesty has summoned you. Prince Casian reported an urgent matter—he says it concerns you.”Alaric's eyes narrowed. “I’ll be in the King's chamber shortly. You may go.”The guard bowed again and disappeared into the shadows.Kael blinked up at him. “What’s going on?”Alaric didn’t answer immediately. He took Kael’s hand, pressing a kiss to the inside of his wrist. “Nothing serious. Just my brat of a brother throwing another tantrum.”Kael’s brow creased. “You sure?”Alaric opened the chamber door and ushe
The hallway was quiet except for the soft, rhythmic sound of Kael’s sandals and the heavier thud of Alaric’s boots as they strolled back toward their chamber.Kael’s arm looped around Alaric’s, his other hand resting on the small swell of his belly. The moonlight cast a soft glow on his features, pale and fragile and full of a warmth Alaric had come to depend on.They were almost at the door when a guard stepped into their path and bowed. “Your Highness, forgive the interruption. His Majesty has summoned you. Prince Casian reported an urgent matter—he says it concerns you.”Alaric's eyes narrowed. “I’ll be in the King's chamber shortly. You may go.”The guard bowed again and disappeared into the shadows.Kael blinked up at him. “What’s going on?”Alaric didn’t answer immediately. He took Kael’s hand, pressing a kiss to the inside of his wrist. “Nothing serious. Just my brat of a brother throwing another tantrum.”Kael’s brow creased. “You sure?”Alaric opened the chamber door and ushe
(Kael's POV)Two weeks.That’s how long it’s been since the slap, the storm, and the questions that refused to settle.And still—I don’t remember her. The woman in silk and claws. The one who knew my name and slapped my face like I owed her blood.I’ve tried to force it. I’ve sat still in the silence, clawing through the haze like a dream I wasn’t invited to wake from. But it’s blank. My mind doesn’t even give me shadows to chase.Maybe I don’t want to remember.Because the present is… warm. Oddly peaceful. Quiet, except for the constant hum of Alaric’s voice and the rhythm of his thumb stroking across my stomach.Which now has a noticeable curve.I’ve started showing.It’s not huge, not yet. Just a soft, gentle swell—barely more than a rounded press under the skin. But it’s enough to make me feel different. Heavier. Slower. Like my body is carrying not just weight, but meaning.And Alaric…Alaric is obsessed.He’s been tracing my stomach like it’s sacred scripture, like there are ans
(Kael's POV)My mate.Alaric.I knew the way he kissed—yeah, I could write a whole song about it. His scent always managed to catch me off guard, sneaking up like some old scarf I didn’t remember stealing, wrapping me up in a winter I never signed up for. I still know exactly how his arms felt, pulling me in close, and how my heart would just lose its mind—thumping like it was trying to start a riot—just from hearing him say my name, like he was letting me in on some top-secret code.But her? She’s more like a rumor than a memory. Just a flicker, some background static. She vanished through a crack in the sidewalk before I could even blink.The Omega with lashes like ink strokes and a voice dipped in poison.The one who slapped me.The one who said she was his wife.And that was the part that made everything inside me spiral—because if I had forgotten her, what else had I forgotten?Was she ever his, the way I am?He hadn’t let me out of his grip—not for a second since it all went dow
The room was quiet, soaking in that early noon light.Alaric’s fingers traced lazy circles over Kael’s bare back, slow and gentle, almost like he was worried Kael would just disappear if he wasn’t careful. They were all tangled up together, Kael’s head resting on Alaric’s chest, hair a total mess that Alaric couldn’t stop running his fingers through, like he was counting beads or something.“I still can’t believe you’re here,” Alaric said, voice soft.Kael grinned against his skin. “Not going anywhere.”“You promise?”“Promise.”Alaric shifted, sliding his hand along Kael’s spine, down to his waist, then back up. “You feel warmer now. Not sick-warm, just… Kael-warm.”“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Kael teased.“Obviously.” Alaric laughed, then pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Want me to brush your hair?”Kael lifted his head slightly, sleepy and amused. “Is that a threat?”Alaric raised a brow. “That depends. Will you be difficult about it?”Kael rolled his eyes. “You’re ridic