Kael's POV
I stepped out of the house and stood in the open, my gaze fixed blankly ahead. Morning sunlight spread its warmth over the land, yet all I felt was darkness pressing around me. The cold breeze that should have been soothing only pierced me, sharp as a thousand needles against my skin.
Because my heart was hurting.
The way she had looked at me—as though I were a monster—it cut deeper than any wound. Of all people in this world, I should have been the last one she feared. I should have been her shield, her comfort, the one whose presence meant safety from every harm. Yet I was the one who terrified her most.
Why? Why did she fear the black wolf so much?
Just then, Rafe, who had followed me out, came to stand at my side. I did not turn to him. He had always been able to see through me in ways I hated.
"Want it?" he asked, holding out a cigarette.
I plucked one from the pack, and he lit it for both of us with a flick of his lighter.
