Four

CHAPTER 4 – Nightshade Ranch

It took us about fifteen minutes through the land route. I followed his pickup with my car, and his silhouette really disturbed me.

When we arrived at the ranch gate, I was mesmerized by the view. Nightshade Ranch was much larger than I had imagined—vast green land stretched to the foothills, with a large rustic-style wooden house that looked like it came out of an architecture magazine. Horse stables were scattered in various corners, and I could see dozens of high-quality horses grazing in the fields.

"Wow," I murmured as I got out of the car. "This is... amazing."

Kael walked toward me, his chest slightly puffed with pride. "My family has been building this ranch for three generations. I'm just continuing the tradition."

Before I could respond, two people came out of the main house. The first was a man with light brown hair and a friendly smile, almost as tall as Kael but with a slightly smaller build. The second was a woman with long red hair and gentle green eyes.

"Aria, meet Marcus Stone, my right-hand man," Kael said while pointing to the brown-haired man. "And Elena Voss, she's... sort of a nurse for the animals here."

Marcus stepped forward with a wide smile. "So you're the new veterinarian who's been keeping our boss awake at night."

"Marcus," Kael warned with a sharp tone, but I could see a thin red blush on his cheeks.

I laughed. "Nice to meet you both. And I hope I'm not really keeping anyone awake."

Elena approached with graceful steps. There was something about the way she moved that reminded me of a big cat—graceful but full of hidden strength.

"Nice to meet you, Aria," she said with a gentle voice. "Kael has told us a lot about you."

I glanced at Kael with raised eyebrows. "Really?"

Kael cleared his throat. "Come on, let me show you the ranch."

As we walked around the ranch, I began to feel something strange. Marcus and Elena—even some other workers we met—all had the same aura as Kael—something wild, strong, and slightly dangerous. And the way they looked at Kael... not like looking at an ordinary boss, but like looking at a leader.

"How many people work here?" I asked when we stopped at the horse stable.

"About twenty people," Kael answered. "Most of them are like family. They live in cottages around the ranch."

I nodded, but my mind was still filled with questions. There was something about this place that felt... different like there was hidden energy flowing beneath the surface.

Kael opened the stable door and brought out a beautiful brown horse. "This is Whisper. She's the gentlest. Want to try riding her?"

My heart beat fast. "I... I've never ridden a horse before."

"I'll teach you," Kael said with a gentle voice. "Do you trust me?"

There was something in the way he asked that made the question feel deeper than just about horse riding. I looked into his gray eyes and nodded.

"Good. First, you need to build a connection with Whisper."

Kael guided me to touch Whisper's neck. When my hand touched the horse, I immediately felt Whisper calm and gentle. There was no fear or anxiety—she was truly gentle.

"Good," Kael praised. "She likes you."

Then Kael helped me mount the saddle. His hands held my waist to lift me, and that touch made my entire body burn. When I was already sitting in the saddle, Kael mounted behind me, his body pressed against my back.

"Kael," I whispered, my breath caught because of our closeness. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching you," he answered, his voice hoarse in my ear. His arms encircled my waist to hold the reins. "Relax. I won't let you fall."

We began to move slowly around the paddock. Kael's strong body behind me, his breath touching my neck, and the warmth radiating from him made me almost unable to concentrate on the horse riding lesson.

"Feel Whisper's rhythm," he whispered in my ear. "Let your body move with her."

I tried to focus, but all I could feel was Kael. The way his chest rose and fell against my back, the way his large hands covered mine on the reins, the way his thighs pressed against mine.

"Aria," his voice was deeper now, almost like a growl. "You know you're driving me crazy, right?"

I turned slightly to look at him, and our breaths mingled. Our faces were only inches apart. His gray eyes turned darker, and I could see something wild blazing in them.

"Kael..." I whispered.

But before anything could happen, Marcus shouted from a distance. "Boss! There's a problem at the north paddock!"

Kael cursed softly, and I could feel his body tense. "We have to get down," he said with a frustrated voice.

He helped me down from Whisper, his hands lingering on my waist even after my feet touched the ground. His eyes looked into mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.

"We'll continue this later," he said, and I wasn't sure he was only talking about the horse riding lesson.

After Kael resolved the problem at the north paddock (which turned out to be just a horse that had escaped), he invited me to lunch on the terrace of the main house. The view from the terrace was stunning—vast green fields with a backdrop of fog-covered mountains.

Elena had prepared sandwiches and fresh lemonade. She smiled at me before going into the house, leaving Kael and me alone.

"This place is amazing," I said while gazing at the view. "You're lucky to have grown up here."

Kael's expression changed slightly, a shadow of sadness passing through his eyes. "Yes, lucky. Though it wasn't always easy."

There was something in his tone that made me curious. "What do you mean?"

Kael was silent for a moment as if considering how much he wanted to share. "My parents died when I was eighteen. An accident... that shouldn't have happened."

My heart ached to hear the sad tone in his voice. "I'm sorry for your loss. It must have been hard managing a ranch this big alone at such a young age."

"I wasn't alone," he said while looking at me. "Marcus, Elena, and the others... they're like family. We take care of each other."

There was something in the way he said, "take care of each other," that sounded deeper than ordinary friendship like there was a stronger bond that tied them all together.

"What about you?" Kael asked. "What made you move to Silverwood? A small town like this must be very different from where you're from."

My chest felt tight. I wasn't ready to talk about Luna, but there was something about Kael that made me want to open up.

"I lost someone very important," I said softly. "My sister. Three years ago. I... I needed a place to start over."

Kael reached for my hand on the table, his warm fingers gently grasping mine. "I'm sorry for your loss. Losing family... nothing can prepare you for that kind of pain."

I looked at our joined hands. His hand was so much bigger than mine, but his touch was so gentle. "Sometimes I feel guilty for still being alive while she's not."

"Hey," Kael said while lifting my chin with his free hand, forcing me to look into his eyes. "That's not your fault. Whatever happened, it's not your fault."

There was something in the way he said those words as if he had also blamed himself for something. His gray eyes looked at me with a tenderness that almost made me cry.

"How can you be so sure?" I whispered.

"Because I know you," he answered with a deep voice. "Maybe we just met yesterday, but I feel like I've known you my whole life. You could never hurt anyone, Aria. You're too good for that."

My heart beat even faster. "Kael..."

He moved closer, his hand still holding my chin. Our faces were only inches apart, and I could feel his breath on my lips.

"I know this sounds crazy," he whispered, "but since I first saw you, I feel like... like I've been waiting for you my whole life. Like you're the missing part of me."

My breath caught. I felt the same way, but hearing him say those words made it feel real and frightening at the same time.

"I feel the same way," I admitted in a barely audible voice. "And that scares me."

"Why are you scared?"

"Because I don't know who you really are," I answered honestly. "There's something about you, about this place, about the people here that's... different. And I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Something flashed in Kael's eyes—pain, maybe? Or fear? He pulled back slightly, his hand leaving my face.

"You're right," he said softly. "There are things about me that are... complex. But I promise, Aria, I will never hurt you. Whatever happens, I will protect you."

The way he said the word "protect" sounded like a sacred oath. And somehow, I believed him.

"I don't need protection," I said. "I'm strong enough to take care of myself."

Kael smiled—the first genuine smile since this conversation began. "I know. That's one of the things that makes me... attracted to you."

Before I could respond, Marcus appeared on the terrace with a serious expression.

"Boss, there's a problem."