Eira’s POV
By the ti we finally returned to the guest residence, the night had stretched deep and heavy, and exhaustion weighed on every part of .
Raven had already fallen asleep, his small body relaxed, his breathing soft and steady. A quiet smile touched my lips at the sight of him. All I wanted now was to curl up beside him and surrender to sleep just as peacefully.
I was too tired to even think of changing. The dress clung to , the sandals still on my feet, but I could not bring myself to care.
"Let help you," Kael said softly.
I let out a tired yawn, my gaze drifting longingly toward the bed. "Can’t we just skip it?"
"You will be uncomfortable in that dress," he replied.
Before I could protest further, he had already begun. His hands were gentle as he removed my sandals and loosened the dress. Then, without effort, he lifted into his arms.
I leaned into him, my head resting against his shoulder as I breathed in his scent. Warm. Familiar. Comforting.
He placed carefully on the bed before leaving briefly, only to return with a damp towel. With quiet patience, he wiped away the exhaustion of the day, the coolness of the cloth soothing against my skin. The heaviness in my body eased, little by little.
Then he brought a soft nightdress and helped into it, his movents careful, unhurried.
When he moved to sit near my feet and began to massage them, I almost lted.
God.
It felt perfect.
I had never felt this relaxed, not just physically, but ntally as well due to how everything was getting right in my life. Every tension seed to dissolve beneath his touch.
Sleep tugged at , pulling under, but I forced myself to stay awake.
There were still things I needed to know.
"Kael?" I murmured, my eyes half closed.
"Hmm," he responded, his fingers continuing their slow, precise movents.
"I saw many pureblood shewolves today," I said quietly.
"Hmm."
I frowned slightly at his unbothered response. "I used to think you let stay in your ho because there were no other shewolves. That you had no choice but to accept ." My voice softened. "But that does not seem to be the case."
"Hmm."
My eyes snapped open.
"What? Just ’hmm’?" I pulled my feet away from his hold, annoyance breaking through my exhaustion. "Do you not have anything to say?"
He looked up at , calm as ever, before shifting to lie beside .
I turned toward him, waiting. This ti, I would not let it go unanswered.
His hand reached up, gently brushing against my cheek, easing the frustration that had begun to rise.
"If I had chosen one of those shewolves from noble families," he said quietly, "I would have had to mark her and make her my mate. I did not want that and it would have been like wasting their life, while they could be happier with so other alpha. I only needed a pureblood to save Sophia. And those won would never have agreed for it. They would have found a way to eliminate her instead."
I understood that part.
But sothing else troubled .
"You did not want a mate," I said slowly. "Then why did you want to save Sophia? You did not even know the truth about her back then."
His gaze shifted slightly, thoughtful.
"I wanted to save her because I had made a promise to my mother," he replied. "But I was never going to make her my mate. Never. I never saw her that way."
His voice remained steady, certain.
"After that incident, everyone assud I loved her. I did not bother correcting them because of my mother. And when she carried my child, the guilt... it made feel responsible for her. I took care of her because I had to. Because I believed I owed her that."
A pause.
"But there were never any feelings," he added quietly. "If you had not returned, if the truth had never co out, I would have given her the title of my wife to protect her dignity and fulfill my mother’s wish. But she would never have been my mate. That was never an option."
I felt relieved to hear it. The thought of my mate liking soone was unsettling.
"You are an Alpha," I murmured. "You still needed a mate. And those shewolves..."
"None of them could have been made it," he interrupted gently. "Despite the hate, my heart..." His gaze t mine, unwavering. "It had already chosen you. All these years it never forgot you."
A soft smile curved on my lips.
"I am glad it did choose ."
I lifted myself slightly and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Back then, I was afraid of you. I thought you were nothing but arrogance and pride. How wrong I was."
He returned the kiss, softer this ti. "You should sleep," he murmured. "Or I might start thinking you are ready for sothing else tonight."
I pulled back instantly, turning away and curling toward Raven. "I am sleepy. Good night."
A quiet chuckle sounded behind , followed by the warmth of his body as he wrapped an arm around .
My eyes drifted shut, but a thought lingered.
"Kael?" I whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Can I speak with Kaizan tomorrow?"
There was a brief pause.
"Any reason?"
"I do not know," I admitted softly. "I just feel like I should. Like there is sothing I need to ask him."
Another mont of silence passed before he answered.
"I will arrange it. If he is still here."
"Thank you," I murmured.
-----
The next day a eting was arranged with Kaizan just as I asked for.
The man was waiting for in the garden of our guest residence. He must have been permitted to enter the main palace just because of .
He stood facing the grand fountain at the center of the garden, his back towards , his posture relaxed as he faced the cascading water. The sound of it filled the quiet space, masking the tension that seed to linger in the air.
My mates had allowed to et him alone, though I could feel their presence at a distance, watchful and alert.
I stepped closer.
Before I could speak, Kaizan turned, as if he had sensed the mont I entered his space.
Our eyes t.
And for a brief second, I forgot why I had co.
There was sothing about him.
On the surface, he appeared calm. Composed. Almost indifferent. But his gaze... it was unsettling. Deep, unreadable, as though it concealed layers no one could ever fully uncover. It did not invite understanding. It denied it.
And that faint smirk, always resting on his lips, made it worse. It carried a quiet arrogance, one that made you feel insignificant, as though you stood before soone who already knew far more than you ever could.
Soone dangerous. Soone wicked.
But I refused to let that affect .
I straightened slightly, steadying myself.
I was not the sa woman I had once been. Not the one who could be easily shaken or silenced.
And here, in this place, I was safe.
He would not harm , because he was the reason I was standing here safe and sound.
So I t his gaze without hesitation, refusing to look away.
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