Caelyn's Regret

(Chapter 99:Caelyn's POV)

The watchtower was quiet, save for the distant murmurs of the others beyond my door. Their voices—Mira's determined, Lorenzo's sharp, Vincenzo's unreadable—faded into the background as I stared out the window. The land beyond was bathed in silver moonlight, but my thoughts drifted elsewhere, beneath the waves, to the one I had left behind.

To him.

The Mer King.

I let out a breath, running a hand over my face. I had thought leaving his court would bring relief. That distance would drown out the pull I felt toward him. But it only made the ache worse.

I had rejected him before I ever truly saw him. Before I let myself understand what fate had carved between us. I thought it was the right choice—after all, what place did a Mer King and a Lycan warrior have together? Our worlds were too different, our pasts too filled with scars.

And yet…

I still craved him.