The dawn came too soon.
Aradia woke tangled in Kael's arms, her body aching in ways she had never known, her soul humming with fire. His chest rose and fell against her back, his warmth enveloping her like a shield. For the first time in her life, she had not felt alone.
And yet, when her eyes opened to the gray light filtering through the den, guilt stirred in her chest.
Kael had claimed her—body, soul, bond. She could feel him inside her still, not just in flesh but in spirit. His wolf had marked her. His power and hers were entwined.
But Ronan's words haunted her. He fears you. He will use you.
She slipped from Kael's arms, careful not to wake him, and stepped into the cold morning air. The forest was silent, frost glittering on the branches. She breathed deep, trying to steady the storm inside her.
"You glow when you leave him."
Her heart lurched. Ronan stood by the tree line, his copper hair catching the dawn light, his amber eyes sharp with knowing.
"You shouldn't be here," she said, pulling her cloak tight around her.
"And yet here I am." His smile was slow, dangerous. "You gave yourself to him, didn't you?"
Her cheeks burned, her lips parting in shock. "That is none of your business."
"It is, little witch." He stepped closer, his voice smooth as silk. "Because every choice you make ties you tighter to him. And the tighter you're bound, the harder it will be to see the chains when they cut into your flesh."
Her chest heaved, torn between anger and doubt. "You're lying."
"Am I?" His eyes darkened, burning with hunger and something sharper—envy. "Tell me, Aradia. Did he tell you what you are? Did he whisper the truth into your ear while he claimed your body?"
She swallowed hard, unable to answer.
Ronan's hand lifted, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, his touch feather-light but searing. "He will never give you freedom. Only I can do that."
Her breath trembled as their eyes locked. For one dangerous moment, she swayed toward him, caught in the heat of his gaze, the pull of his voice.
But then Kael's growl shattered the moment.
He stood at the den's entrance, his green eyes blazing, his jaw clenched with fury. He looked between them—the witch he had claimed, and the rival who dared touch her—and his wolf surged dangerously close to the surface.
"Step away," Kael snarled, his voice shaking with rage.
Ronan only smirked, his amber eyes glinting with wicked promise. "Careful, Alpha. You might find her fire burns brighter when she's not chained to you."
And then he vanished into the trees, leaving silence—and Kael's fury—in his wake.
Aradia's body trembled, her heart torn between the fire she had surrendered to and the temptation that haunted her still.