Reya didn't stay the night.
She left after the Ether cooled, after the rush turned to silence. Kael lay in the dark, shirtless, sweaty, staring at the ceiling like it owed him answers.
His chest still pulsed. Not pain, not pleasure—something in between. Like a tether had been tied through his ribs and knotted around Reya's soul.
He was changing.
And so was she.
The next morning, Reya wouldn't meet his eyes. She barked orders like usual, but her voice was too sharp. Too quick.
Guilt? Fear? Regret?
Kael didn't know what hurt more—what they did… or what it meant.