Page 18 of Kael (Monsters & Mates #2)

He jerks slightly, eyes widening, as if the thought had never even occurred to him. Then, just as quickly, his expression shifts—shock giving way to amusement.

He tilts his head. “Would it work if it was?”

I scoff, even as my eyes widen when he takes off his armour, revealing a light blue tunic. “That wasn’t a no.”

His lips twitch. “You’re cold. I’m offering warmth. That’s all.”

“Mmm. Right.” I rub my arms, shivering harder. My brain is still suspicious, but my body is desperate. Also, I’m starving. The faster I get warm, the faster I can focus on food.

I weigh my options. How do we do this without making it weird?

A few seconds pass, and I give up. Screw it. My fucks have all vacated the premises. With a sigh, I clamber over and plant myself directly on Kael’s lap.

He stiffens. “What?—”

I grab his hands, lift my shirt, and plop his palms onto my stomach. “Do your magic, Glowranth.”

His breath hitches, and I don’t miss the way his fingers twitch against my skin. He’s warm—hot, actually—and I immediately sigh in relief.

Then he groans. Loudly.

Oh.

He cuts it off quickly, but I hear it. I feel it vibrate through his chest. Do I like that I affect him? Fuck yes. Does that make me a little bit of a bastard? Probably. But having someone want me so badly is… well, it soothes something raw inside me. Bruised ego? Check. Bruised heart? Maybe.

I pretend not to notice his reaction as I pull my bag close and start rummaging for food.

His fingers flex against my abs, radiating heat, and it’s almost impossible not to clench or flex.

This is the first time anyone’s been up close to my abs since I’ve had them, and I refuse to acknowledge how much I like the way his hands feel there.

Kael clears his throat, his voice slightly rough. “We should be able to leave at first light. If the storm eases.”

“Mm,” I hum, finding some dried meat and ration bars—at least that’s what I convince myself they are. “And if it doesn’t?”

“Then we wait.”

I glance back at him. “You’re worried about the Hendroy, aren’t you?”

“He won’t be easy to convince.” His voice is quiet. “But if we approach in daylight, we have a better chance of avoiding a fight.”

“Great,” I mutter. “A chance.” But we both know that even if the storm is still raging, we have to leave. Who knows what condition Dawson is in. If he’s even still alive. I shove that thought aside, refusing to dwell on negative possibilities.

I tear into my food, chewing thoughtfully. Kael’s still watching me, his hands moving slightly—either adjusting the energy transfer or just… touching me.

Kael watches me as I chew, his fingers still radiating warmth against my stomach.

“Dawson needs to be saved. Prince Aelith….” He trails off, and I swallow my food, wondering what he really thinks of the prince I’ve been taught to distrust and who he’s been trained to protect.

“I understand why you and the Riftborn are wary and don’t trust easily.

But since Dawson, everything has changed for the prince. ”

The food in my stomach sours. From the moment Dawson touched Terrafeara, the prince, of all people—one of the royal heirs sworn to enslave Riftborn for their mother—was willing to turn his back on everything.

Kael, though… he didn’t change. Not when I arrived. Not when the rift ripped me from everything I knew and threw me into this world, into a life I never asked for.

I swallow the bitter taste rising in my throat and push the food around in my palm, the warmth of Kael’s hands still sinking into my skin. Why didn’t he change? Give up everything?

He chose duty. He chose the prince. He chose to ignore me.

I exhale sharply. “Must be nice. Having someone flip their entire world view for you. Drop their whole life, abandon everything they believed in, just because you exist.” I let out a dry laugh, though it holds no humour. “I bet Dawson will be thrilled.”

I wince, pleased Kael can’t see my face. Dawson has done nothing wrong—hell, his life is at stake—but sometimes, the bitch in me is strong. Feeling scorned hurts like a motherfucker.

Kael doesn’t speak for a moment. His fingers twitch slightly where they rest against my stomach, his touch still steady. When he finally speaks, his voice is quieter. “You think he doesn’t deserve that devotion?”

I shift uncomfortably. “That’s not what I—” I sigh, rubbing at my face with one hand.

“It’s not about Dawson. It’s about… how fast everything changed for him.

” I let my hand drop back to my lap. “For me, it’s been over two years.

I fought for every scrap of trust, for every bit of ground I gained.

I bled for it. And I still don’t know where I stand half the time. ”

Kael’s fingers flex against my skin again, and I angle myself so I can look back at him. A muscle jumps in his jaw, but he says nothing.

I huff a laugh, shaking my head. “Not that it matters. You made your choice a long time ago.”

His gaze sharpens, locking onto mine. “And what choice was that?”

I raise a brow, like it should be obvious. “Duty. Loyalty. To him.”

Something in his expression shifts. “Sonny?—”

“No, it’s fine,” I say, waving a hand. “I get it. You have a job. And you’re good at it.

” My lips curl into something wry. “But you don’t get to act surprised when I point it out.

” It doesn’t matter that he said he was wrong and he’s sorry…

right? Two fucking years he effectively abandoned me, deciding even before he met me that I wasn’t worth… well, anything.

And fuck if I don’t hate myself a little for not being able to let this go. But this is me. Warts and all. I absolutely have issues for days.

Kael exhales slowly. His hands are still on me, still warm, still steady, but I can feel the weight of something pressing down between us. A long moment passes. Then another. Finally, he speaks. “Do you truly believe I wouldn’t turn my back on everything for you?”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. I freeze, my breath catching, my pulse stuttering against my ribs.

Kael doesn’t move. Doesn’t break eye contact. He just watches me, like he’s waiting for me to understand something I refuse to believe.

Do you truly believe I wouldn’t turn my back on everything for you?

I don’t know what to say.

I don’t know what to think.

Except… “Is this only because the prince has found his mate? Do you feel like he’ll give you permission now?”

Kael’s eyes darken, something like frustration flickering across his face. His grip tightens—just slightly—where his hands rest against my skin, the heat of his touch pulsing through me. “I don’t need his permission.”

I scoff, looking away, focussing on the rough stone walls instead of the intensity in his gaze. “Don’t you?”

He exhales sharply. “You think so little of me?”

I swallow hard, the words getting stuck in my throat. “I think….” I hesitate. “I think you’ve spent your whole life putting him first. That’s what duty is, right? That’s what you chose.”

His fingers flex again, like he’s resisting the urge to grip me tighter. “Duty is what I was born to do,” he corrects. “But you—” He inhales, steadying himself. “You are what I choose.”

Something inside me clenches, twists painfully. I shake my head, trying to laugh it off. “And yet I’m still here. Freezing my ass off in some cave, two years in, and you’re only saying this now.”

Kael leans in, just enough that his breath ghosts over my skin, sending a fresh wave of warmth through me. “Then let me prove it.”

I stiffen. “How?”

His hands slide slightly, palms smoothing against my stomach with deliberate intent. His voice drops lower. “I will convince you every day as long as my heart beats if I need to.”

My breath catches. The storm howls outside, snow hammering against the cave’s entrance, but all I feel is him. The warmth of his hands. The steady weight of his presence. The undeniable promise in his words.

I wet my lips, my voice quieter now. “That’s a long time.”

His gaze doesn’t waver. “Then I had best start now.”

And before I can think, before I can stop myself, I lean into him just a little more. Just enough that the last sliver of space between us disappears.

Kael exhales, the sound ragged, before he buries his face against my neck.

His breath is hot, a stark contrast to the cold still clinging to the edges of the cave.

I should push him away, should question this, but I don’t—I won’t.

I can’t find the will to move, except to tilt my head, giving him more access.

His lips press against my throat, a slow, lingering kiss that sends a shudder down my spine.

My fingers clench in the fabric of his tunic on his arms, gripping him as if he’s the only thing anchoring me in this moment.

His breath is uneven as he whispers something in Glowranthian, the deep timbre of his voice rolling over me like a caress.

I don’t understand the words, but my body does, reacting with a sharp, visceral need that sets me alight from the inside out.

Another kiss, this time on my jaw. Then one against my cheek, his lips dragging dangerously close to my mouth. My pulse is a frantic, thudding thing, matching the barely restrained tension humming between us.

I know what’s coming next.

And fuck it all to hell, I want it.

I turn into him, meeting his lips with my own. It’s just a brush, a fleeting press, but it sets me ablaze. I barely have time to process the second kiss, deeper now, before Kael moves, flipping me so I’m straddling him, my knees sinking into the cave floor.

I’ve barely opened my eyes when he’s on me.

Kael kisses me like he’s staking a claim, like this moment has been inevitable from the second we met. And maybe it has. Maybe I’ve been fighting a losing battle against something that was always meant to unravel me.