All Chapters of A THOUSAND GOOD-BYES : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

KAEL POVLena met us at the back door, sous-chef apron still tied tight, eyes red but smile genuine. “You two are a mess. Sit. I’ll get the first-aid kit and whatever’s left of the rare steak. Then you’re both sitting your asses down while I close this place for the night.”Alisa’s quiet laugh vibrated through the bond and into my bones. I felt her smile even before I saw it — that same smile she’d given the camera when she dropped the Moretti sign into the trash. My wolf howled in satisfaction. She was home. She was mine. And the bond between us thrummed with the quiet, fierce love that had carried us through every dark night since the night I first saw her across the city.I kicked the door shut behind us, locked it, then turned and backed her against the desk in the small office. My hands — rough, calloused, still warm from the fight — cupped her face like she was something sacred. The bond flared brighter at

KAEL’S POV The penthouse was quiet in the way only victory and exhaustion could make it—soft city lights filtering through the glass walls, the faint hum of the bond between me and Alisa keeping me grounded even while my mind raced ahead to tomorrow. I stood in the kitchen, pouring two glasses of the deep red wine Alisa had chosen for the restaurant’s grand opening, the rich aroma rising like a promise. She had already changed out of her black dress and into one of my oversized shirts that fell just below her thighs, her bare legs glowing in the low light. The fresh bite mark on her shoulder peeked out from the collar, and every time she moved I felt the bond thrum with quiet, satisfied heat. “Garrick just replied,” I said, sliding one glass toward her. My voice was low, rough from the adrenaline still lingering in my blood. “He wants a private meeting. Says he’s ‘concerned about the new direction’ of the pack. Claims he’s worried about how Viktor’s suspension will affect lower-

ALISA’S POV The elevator doors opened into the bustling lobby of Draven & Blackwood, and I stepped out on legs that still felt like they belonged to someone else. The ghost of Kael’s touch lingered between my thighs like a secret brand, warm and possessive, while the taste of possibility clung to my tongue. For the first time in five years, I wasn’t just surviving. I was moving. My phone buzzed in my pocket—Jeff again. I pulled it out with steady fingers and opened the message. His words were short, venomous: *You think you can run to Draven? Bad move, wife. I know things about your new ‘lawyer’ that will burn both of you. Come home. Now.* My blood turned to ice. I gripped the phone tighter until the screen blurred under my grip. Kael’s voice from earlier echoed in my head, calm and certain: *I’ll bury him.* I typed back with hands that refused to shake. *Go to hell. I’m already free.* The elevator dinged again as it reached the ground floor. I stepped out into the crowded side

ALISA’S POV The first rays of dawn sliced through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, painting the marble floor in soft gold. I woke alone, the sheets still warm on the side of the bed where Kael had slept only hours before. My body still carried the memory of his hands from the night before—gentle this time, reassuring—yet my mind raced ahead to the day that waited. The restaurant. The threats. The slow, terrifying trust I was being asked to give. I slipped out of bed, pulled on the robe again, and followed the scent of fresh coffee into the open kitchen. Kael stood at the counter, back to me, scrolling through emails on his tablet. The top buttons of his shirt were open, collar slightly crooked, as if he’d dressed in a hurry. When he turned, the smile he gave me was small and private, the kind that made something warm bloom low in my chest. “Morning,” he said. “You sleep okay?” “Better than I thought I would,” I admitted, crossing to the island. “Last night felt… rea

ALISA’S POV Morning light poured through the windows like liquid honey, warming the room until the air felt alive. I woke to the steady rise and fall of Kael’s chest beneath my cheek, his arm still locked around my waist like he’d been holding me even in sleep. For a long moment I simply breathed him in—cedar and rain and the faint trace of the soap he used that always made me feel safe. The fear from yesterday hadn’t vanished, but it had quieted, tucked away somewhere I could almost ignore. I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could, pulling on the robe and padding to the kitchen. Coffee was already brewing, the rich aroma cutting through the quiet. Kael stood at the counter, back to me, sleeves rolled up, scrolling through his phone. When he turned, the smile he gave me was small and private, the kind that made something warm bloom low in my chest. “Morning,” he said. “You slept?” “Better,” I admitted, crossing to the island. “Thank you for last night. For just… holding me.”