Se connecterThe violet blaze that danced through her fur flared slightly at the contact. It did not burn. It did not sear. Instead, the light folded into him. Threads of violet slipped seamlessly into the black of his coat, blending rather than clashing. The energy softened against him, wrapping around him
Then Kaelani suddenly pulled back and without explanation, she grabbed his hand and started leading him across the hillside toward a massive tree rooted near the edge of the slope. Kaelani glanced around once, then reached for the hem of her shirt. Julian’s brows shot up. “You know damn well I’d
Her voice softened. “It’s beautiful.” There was a brief pause. “And I would like to see it again,” she added carefully, meeting his eyes. “With you.” Julian grew quiet, the tension rolling off him in a steady wave, and Kaelani felt every ounce of it through the bond. After a moment, he asked qu
Kaelani and Julian walked hand in hand through the grand promenade that led toward the Seelie palace, its marble pathways winding between cascading fountains and archways woven with living vines. Sunlight poured over the city in soft gold, catching in crystalline spires and dancing across balconies
When they returned to the Blackthorn packhouse, Julian expected to find his mother in one of her usual places—the sunroom overlooking the gardens, or the small sitting alcove near the east corridor where she liked to read. She wasn’t there. He checked the parlor. The dining hall. Nothing. A fai
Julian sat at the kitchen table, tension still visible in the tight line of his shoulders as Kaelani moved at the counter, finishing the last touches on their breakfast. “I would have ripped his head clean off his shoulders,” he said quietly, though there was nothing casual about the way he said it
He couldn’t even remember half of what she’d said—something about the seating chart, the shade of ribbon for the centerpieces, the exact placement of the ceremonial torches. He murmured, “Whatever you think is best,” more than once, the words automatic, hollow. The hum of voices blurred into backgr
Julian woke with a sharp inhale, every muscle taut as his eyes adjusted to the dim light spilling through the blinds of his office. For a fleeting, fractured second, he could still feel her — the warmth of her body pressed against his, the scent of her hair, the fading echo of a song that didn’t bel
The highway cut through the dark like a blade, its empty stretch swallowing the glow of his headlights. Julian’s hands tightened around the steering wheel until the leather groaned beneath his grip. He should’ve stayed at the pack house. Should’ve gone to the gym, locked himself back in his office—a
The sun had climbed higher by the time Kaelani finally left the house. The air was warm, the streets busy, the kind of ordinary noise that should’ve drowned out the thoughts still buzzing in her head. But Julian’s voice lingered — that low, careful tone from the morning call replaying like an itch s







