Mag-log inRhea POV“Oh… am I interrupting something?”Mom’s voice caught me so off guard that I shoved Kale hard enough for him to stumble backward and nearly lose his balance. I had to grab his arm to steady him, and by the time he regained his footing, my face had gone completely pale while my heart pounded like a thousand drums inside my chest.“It’s not what it looks like,” I blurted out quickly, already trying to explain myself.But Mom’s gaze simply shifted from me to Kale’s guilty expression, and the corner of her lips curled upward.“Sure,” she said, clearly not believing a word of it.Then she stepped back and opened the door wider.“You can stay the night if you want,” she added casually, and my eyes widened in horror.“Mom!” I nearly shouted, embarrassment crashing over me so hard I thought I might actually die.“It’s late,” she cut in smoothly. “Do you want your… friend… driving all the way home at this hour?” She tilted her head toward Kale with a knowing smile. “Come on in, Kale.”
Rhea POVHours later, my cheeks already ached from smiling, and my stomach hurt from eating so much that there was literally no room left for anything else.The market had completely transformed once night fell, and the crowd from earlier had thinned out a little.We found a small wooden bridge arching over a narrow creek, tucked away from the noise and bright lights. The water moved slowly beneath us, reflecting broken fragments of stars across the dark ripples.Kale leaned against the railing beside me, a half-eaten pastry forgotten in his hand.“You’ve been quiet,” he observed.“I’m tired,” I admitted, even though that wasn’t the whole truth.The truth was, I didn’t want the night to end. Out here, away from everything, I had almost forgotten about the bruises hidden beneath my scarf.And more importantly, the man who had put them there.Almost.“Ahh… this place is so nice,” I sighed, clutching the shawl tighter around my shoulders.“I knew you would like it,” Kale replied softly.
Rhea POV“Did you just…” I started, horrified as heat rushed straight to my face.“What?” he asked with a grin, looking completely unashamed. “It’s not that different from kissing.” His smile widened slightly. “Besides, it tastes even better from your lips.”My face burned so badly that I had to look away.“You sound like a complete pervert,” I muttered before shoving the rest of the honey cake into my mouth just so I’d have an excuse not to say anything else.But that only made him laugh harder.Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through the market, and because I was only wearing a sundress, the cold air immediately sent a shiver down my spine.Kale noticed instantly.“Ah… I should’ve warned you. It gets really cold out here once the sun goes down,” he said, looking annoyed with himself.The problem was that he was only wearing a blue t-shirt, so there was nothing he could take off and give me.Knowing Kale, that would’ve been the first thing he did if he had even a jacket or flan
Rhea POV“I thought you wouldn’t make it,” Kale said as he pulled the car door open for me, motioning for me to get in.“Thank you,” I replied with a small smile as I slid into the passenger seat. “Honestly, I didn’t think I would either. But there was a last minute change,” I added after he settled behind the wheel.He looked practically glowing today. The brightest smile I’d seen on his face in weeks stretched across his lips, and seeing it made something warm flutter in my chest even while guilt twisted low in my stomach.Truthfully, I hadn’t planned on meeting him today at all. But after everything that had happened with Dorian, I just needed to get away.Away from the estate. Away from him. And most importantly, away from the suffocating silence inside my own head.I had changed out of my uniform before leaving and slipped into a simple cream-colored sundress that stopped just above my knees, paired with flat sandals. The dress was light and flowy, something Kenzie had forced me
Dorian POV“You are not killing anyone,” Damian said sternly, even though it was already too late for that. A man had already lost his life last night. “Especially not my brother. Go on your little rampage if you want, but don’t you dare lay a finger on him.”He shot me a hard look, making me exhale heavily as I forced my gaze away from him.Silence filled the room after that, thick and suffocating, broken only by the sound of my rough breathing.“He said he was getting along with Elizabeth,” Damian muttered, mostly to himself, frustration heavy in his voice. “I thought… ah, fuck…”“What good does he even have to offer?” I asked quietly, my voice suddenly low enough that it caught him off guard. “He’s weak. A pathetic little boy, and yet… she still chose him.”Damian frowned. “She actually told you that?”Even now, I still couldn’t fucking believe it.“To my face,” I said with a bitter laugh, my fist clenching tightly before relaxing again at my side. “She said he has her heart. What
Dorian POV The cold shower did absolutely nothing to calm my anger. If anything, I felt worse after stepping out of the bathroom. A towel hung low around my waist as I walked back into the room, my fists clenched so tightly that my partially extended claws dug into my palms. The sharp sting grounded me in a way nothing else could right now. Rhea was still sitting on the edge of the mattress completely naked, her head lowered enough for her hair to hide most of her face, making it impossible to read her expression. But the way her fingers dug into the mattress told me more than enough. She was still angry. “For fuck’s sake,” I muttered under my breath before moving toward the closet and aggressively rummaging through it. I pulled out a pair of dark pants and a black shirt, yanking them on with more force than necessary. By the time I was fully dressed, she still hadn’t moved from that same spot. And for some reason, that irritated me even more. I didn’t like this
Rhea POVI heard of Dorian’s return from everyone but him. I’d expected him to text me to resume, and when he didn’t, I didn’t really think much of it. I went back to the pack estate anyway, just to avoid getting in trouble with him.When I walked into his chambers to clean, I half expected him to
Rhea POVI had just finished taking my bath when I stepped out with a towel wrapped around me… only to find Kenzie in the middle of my room, muttering curses under her breath.My steps froze when I realized what she was holding.My phone.My freaking phone.She was the one who’d suggested the sleep
Rhea POV“Good morning,” Damian replied to my greeting as he started walking toward me, while Dorian stayed exactly where he was.“My face is up here,” Damian added when he got close enough, and I forced myself to lift my gaze like he said, mentally screaming at myself not to look at the man standi
Dorian POVThe command was filled with disgust that was for both her and my own momentary weakness.Damian chuckled at my words as his eyes took in the scene. The flushed Luna, the half-empty bottle, and my disheveled state.“Looks like I have perfect timing as usual,” he said, moving forward and g







