The glow stretched out in lazy arms, brushing against my face, warming the skin it could reach. A breeze dri

ma, Cale. The night wrapped around us, thick with stars and silence, broken on

fangs, fur on her ears, the whole thing. Rowan chuckled so hard he had to brace himself with his palms in the grass,

y sight, I cou

the other. I felt the way Rowan's shoulders rocked forward every time he tried to muffle a laugh. The ground even g

hispered to me. Still let me trace it

to something quieter, gentler. "My little

I hadn't heard in a long time-peace. Steady. Rooted. Like he'

added, almost laughing again. "Wal

the trees overhearing. "And Mira-goddess, man. She still looks at me like I hang the moon. Even after

ise to my lips, au

n't st

the fire and the laughter, flickered. Then it vanis

udden. Just quiet. Familiar. Like a co

d, my face neutral. I didn't want him

clawed throu

hat kind of life. I

vied

d that

Of having someone whisper your name like it meant everything. I didn't re

, his laughter gone. Maybe he felt it too-that

with both hands. I rubbed my palms together close to

it w

they. They were wolves-we didn't

rant, his fingers brushing mine just long enough to

ook

ld

fire cracked again

none

anym

r a lo

too faint to touch. I held my mug tighter, though I didn't drink. The warmth didn't reach fa

ge in him. His weight leaned forward. His breath

hing you both

ood b

o quiet, as though they

turned my face toward Rowan,

amily. They'll be visiting the Moonshad

me like a rush

ir th

. Heat flashed beneath my skin like a spark trying to catch fi

y

struck li

ye

, her name echoed lo

-of her-pressed against my chest like stone. My heart b

he way she had

sg

shifted, in the pause that hung heavy before her smile even dared to form. And when she finally spoke-when those words tumbled out of her mouth-they weren't soft, weren

arry someo

worth the dirt beneath her boots. She didn't just say the w

re-blind, broken, shattered-and felt everything crumble around me. My title, my pride, all of it echoed in the silence that followed, and yet,

nderstood. She was royal. She was above it all. And I was no longer wh

ders

didn't make it

d calm, as if he had known how I would react before I even s

era

r and sharp. My fingers tightened around the m

era

one who threw me aw

imbed higher by using my we

didn't say anything. Silence was all I had left. It

e wound she left. But they were wrong. Time didn't heal everything. Some wounds didn't

als-some betray

y heart beat heavily under my ribs, but I kept quiet. I didn't speak aloud, but in the

never

uld neve