LOGINFor a beat, no one spoke. Then, he lowered Kaelani gently until her feet touched the ground, but he didn’t let go—his fingers slipping into hers, holding on like it was the most natural thing in the world. Kaelani’s gaze dropped to their hands. The contact stilled something inside her. No one ha
“You do.” He let his gaze drop—just for a second—to the space between them, the inches that still separated them. Then back to her. “But I meant it when I said I’d never leave you again… that was real.” A brief pause—not for effect, but because he meant it. “Not when it’s hard. Not when it’s me
Kaelani’s smile hit him harder than anything else had. For the first time, it was meant for him. Julian stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him and shutting out everything beyond it—the chaos, the noise, all of it. In here— was his peace. His heart. His whole world. He move
The room. The light. The faces. A breath caught in his chest. “Kaelani…?” His focus sharpened. His room. His packhouse. Familiar walls and scent. But something was wrong. His gaze moved quickly—his mother at his side, Jace by the window. No Kaelani. Julian pushed himself upright, pain tear
She didn’t look at him. “Julian Hale… fugitive status removed.” Another keystroke. “Jace Romano… fugitive status removed.” Her fingers paused for a fraction of a second before continuing. “Garrick Blake… charges dropped.” A quiet tap followed. “Release scheduled for… tomorrow morning.” Then—
A brief pause. “Am I wrong?” Councilor Voss didn’t answer. He simply watched her for a moment longer before speaking. “What is it that you want?” Kaelani held the room for a moment. “What I wanted the day I stood before you in the Chamber of Elders,” she said. “What I asked for then.” “To liv
Night had swallowed the desert, but the heat hadn’t loosened its grip. It clung to Julian’s skin like a second hide—heavy, suffocating. Every breath scraped his throat raw, lungs burning as if they’d forgotten how to draw air properly. His tongue felt swollen, useless. Dry enough that swallowing hu
And then—snap. Her canines extended. Her body jerked forward. Before she could stop it, her wolf took over—and she bit. Hard. Draevyn recoiled, pulling back with a sharp inhale, his hand catching the edge of his bottom lip where blood now trickled freely. Kaelani froze. Mortified. “I’m—oh my
The question alone unraveled something in her. Pulled at strings she wasn’t ready to tug loose. Because the truth was murky. Heavy. Entangled with longing and betrayal, memory and hope. Did she love Julian? Or had the bond just convinced her that she should? Before she could even begin to untangl
Julian flinched like she’d struck him. His breath hitched as he loosened more buttons from his shirt, revealing the sharp lines of his collarbone, the gleam of sweat now soaking through the fabric. “You’re right, baby,” he managed hoarsely, licking his lips. “You’re so fucking right. You deserve—”







