Page 33

The water envelops me, hot enough to make me gasp, but not uncomfortable. Steam rises around us, creating a dreamlike haze in the starlit chamber.

“This is… incredible,” I sigh as the heat penetrates my muscles, melting away tension I didn’t even realize I was carrying.

Kaelen slides into the water across from me, his eyes never leaving mine. “Wolves understand pleasure,” he says, his voice deeper in the enclosed space. “It’s not just about mating. It’s about a deep connection and pack bonds.”

“I’m not your pack,” I point out, though I’m having trouble concentrating with his powerful body so close to mine beneath the water.

“You could be,” he counters, moving closer until our knees touch beneath the surface. “If you choose me.”

There’s that word again—choose. Though Oren said I might not have to. These creatures, these monsters who could simply take what they want, all seem fixated on my choice.

“What would that mean?” I ask, curiosity overcoming my nervousness. “Being pack?”

“Belonging,” he says simply. “Protection. Loyalty.” His hand finds my ankle underwater, thumb tracing circles on my skin. “Pleasure.”

His touch moves higher, tracing my calf, the back of my knee, sending shivers despite the water’s warmth.

Before I can stop myself, the question tumbles out. “Why don’t you already have a pack?”

The words hang between us, and I think I’ve crossed a line. “I mean, why don’t you have other female werewolves to choose from? Surely there are some around…”

His eyes flash, and I feel the tension ripple through the water. But instead of snapping, he just sounds… tired. “It’s a long story.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, wanting to know more about the creature who seems so intent on making me his.

He hesitates, then the words come out in a low growl. “We were hunted." The words hang heavy in the steam between us. "My pack. My… family."

His hand stills on my leg, and I see something I never expected in those amber eyes—raw pain.

"Humans," he continues, voice rough. "With silver weapons and fire. They came at night."

My heart clenches. "Kaelen, I'm so sorry."

"I fought, but there were too many." His jaw tightens. "They set fire to the forest. To flush us out."

I reach for his hand underwater, twining my fingers with his. He looks surprised by the gesture but doesn't pull away.

"I couldn't save them." The admission seems torn from him. "I heard their howls as the flames took them."

"That's terrible," I whisper, genuinely horrified. "When did this happen?"

"Two centuries ago." His eyes meet mine, ancient and haunted. "I've been alone since. Other wolves have passed through, but none have stayed."

The revelation transforms him in my eyes.

His possessiveness, his territorial nature—they're not just monster traits. They're the reflexes of someone who lost everything once and is terrified of losing again.

There’s a raw edge to his voice. “I’ve been alone ever since.”

My heart aches for him. “Kaelen…”

“Well, that’s not entirely true. There might have been a possibility of something with the water-dweller long ago.”

“Caspian?” I ask, intrigued.

Well, this is new information.

He nods, “But the kraken is too proud. Now I have you.” His eyes meet mine with an intensity that borders on feral. “If you’ll let me.”