The moon hung low, spilling silver light through the half-open window of the small guest chamber. Aria sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers twisted in the hem of her nightdress, the sound of her heartbeat too loud in the silence. Sleep had refused her the moment she lay down. Every time she closed her eyes, Kael's face came to mind — the sharp line of his jaw, the unguarded look in his eyes when he thought she wasn't watching.
She hated that she was noticing.
The door creaked softly, and her head snapped up. Kael stepped in without the arrogance he usually wore like armor. His hair was slightly damp, curling at the ends, and he had changed out of his uniform into a simple black tunic. Without his battle-ready stance, he looked… different.
"You're awake," he murmured, closing the door behind him.
Aria swallowed. "I could say the same about you. Shouldn't the great Alpha be resting before dawn patrol?"
His lips curved into the faintest of smirks. "The great Alpha can't rest when someone in his territory can't."
Her breath caught at the implication. "I'm fine," she said quickly, turning her gaze to the floor. "You don't need to worry about me."
He took a slow step forward, then another, until he was standing close enough that she could smell the faint scent of rain and pine clinging to him. "That's the thing, Aria. I do worry."
Those words hung between them like a challenge. Her mind screamed at her to look away, but her heart… her heart leaned toward him. She searched his face, but Kael's expression gave away nothing except that he was holding back something heavy.
"Why?" she asked, almost a whisper.
His jaw tightened. "Because you don't belong here. Not yet. And if you get hurt—"
"You'll feel responsible," she finished for him, a flicker of defiance in her voice. "You're already treating me like some fragile thing that might break if you breathe too close."
Kael's eyes darkened. "That's not it."
"Then what is it?" she pressed, her pulse drumming in her ears.
For a moment, she thought he might walk away. Instead, he leaned down just slightly, his gaze locked on hers. "Because the more I'm around you, Aria, the harder it is to remember why I'm supposed to keep my distance."
Her breath hitched, heat curling low in her stomach. She told herself not to let the words get to her, but they did. Every single one of them.
Silence wrapped around them again, broken only by the faint sound of rain starting outside.
Kael straightened, his expression suddenly guarded once more. "Get some rest. Tomorrow… things might get complicated."
And before she could ask what he meant, he turned and left, the quiet click of the door leaving her alone with the pounding in her chest.
---
The next morning, Aria found herself standing at the edge of the training grounds, watching Kael bark orders at a group of warriors. His tone was sharp, commanding — nothing like the man who had stood in her room hours before.
But every so often, his gaze would flick to her, quick, almost like he didn't want to be caught looking. And every single time, it was enough to set her heart racing all over again.