Kael didn't sleep.
Not for a single heartbeat.
He sat upright against the carved ice headboard, Amaya curled in the hollow of his body, her breath warm against his chest, her fingers tangled lightly in the fur lining his tunic. She slept deeply — exhaustion, shock, and the lingering weight of the Shadow Devourer's corruption pulling her under.
But Kael remained motionless.
Eyes open.
Every sense sharpened to a razor's edge.
The palace was too quiet.
Too still.
Not the sleep of a kingdom at peace…
But the hush of beasts holding their breath.
Something had shifted tonight. A barrier had been broken. Someone had made a move.
And Kael had responded with power he had not unleashed in years.
His claws flexed involuntarily at the thought.
He had lost control.
For a moment, a terrible, precious moment, his instincts had completely overridden his discipline. He had nearly destroyed an entire palace wing with one blast of aura.
And all because she screamed.
Because she hurt.
