Unraveling

Kaelith lay still, staring at the empty space beside him.

She had left.

Of course she had.

Seraphine was a storm, untamed and unpredictable, and she had spent weeks trying to resist him. Last night had been the moment she lost—but it had never been just about desire.

She had given in, yes. But she had not surrendered.

And that was what unsettled him the most.

Kaelith ran a hand over his face, exhaling slowly. He should have expected this. He should have known that the moment she woke, she would put her armor back on, pretend nothing had changed.

But something had changed.

He felt it in the way she trembled beneath his touch, in the way she whispered his name like it was something sacred. He had felt it in the way she held onto him when she thought he wasn't paying attention.

And now, she was gone, as if she could erase it.

Kaelith sat up, his jaw tightening.

No.

He would not let her pretend.

She was his.

She could fight, she could run, she could deny it all she wanted—but he had claimed her, and he would not allow her to act as if it meant nothing.

Last night was only the beginning.

If Seraphine thought she could escape him, she was wrong.

Because Kaelith was done waiting.

To be continued…

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