Rogan’s gaze hardened. "She is resting upstairs."
Kaelen stepped further inside and the scent hit him imdiately.
It was stronger and clearer and no longer muted by faint suppressants or distance.
It wrapped around him like warmth and lightning at once.
His pulse shifted not violently or painfully, just enough to make him feel uncomfortable and aware.
"She is fine," Rogan added, watching him closely. "You don’t need to check."
"I want to," Kaelen stated with no hint of hesitation,
Rogan studied him for a long mont.
There was no curse flickering behind Kaelen’s eyes, no unstable edge, just sothing deeper, more dangerous and possession.
"You think showing up whenever you feel like it is appropriate?" Rogan asked coldly.
Kaelen didn’t rise to it. He looked around and said, "There is sothing different in the air here, I can sll sothing ancient and—"
"Her scent, it feels different,," he added quietly. Her scent was stronger, cleaner like sothing had been unsealed.
That confused and unsettled him.
That made Rogan pause because that was the truth. He hesitated and then exhaled slowly.
"She is upstairs."
He stepped around the counter.
"Follow ."
.....
[Upstairs – Lyra’s Room]
The hallway was quiet and sunlight filtered faintly through the thin curtains at the far end.
Rogan stopped outside a closed door and turned toward Kaelen.
"If she asks you to leave," Rogan said firmly, "you leave."
Kaelen held his gaze. "If she asks, I will."
Rogan didn’t like that answer but he opened the door anyway.
The room was soft with afternoon light.
Lyra lay on the bed, half-propped against the pillows, hair spilling over her shoulder.
She wasn’t pale anymore, she didn’t look exhausted. There was color in her skin, warmth and sothing else.
There was a presence and her aura felt different and Kaelen felt it imdiately.
It hit him like heat spreading through cold limbs and his breath slowed.
Lyra turned her head at the sound of the door.
Her eyes t his and everything in the room shifted.
Rogan felt it too, that invisible current between them.
Lyra blinked slowly.
"You are here," she said softly. She didn’t look surprised or angry.
Kaelen took one step into the room. "Yes."
Rogan stepped back but he didn’t leave.
He watched them carefully, asuring each and every look on their faces.
Kaelen didn’t move closer imdiately, he couldn’t. He was still trying to analyze her scent and figure out what had changed since the last ti he had seen her.
Her scent had always been weak but today it wasn’t the muted version he had felt before. This was raw and unfiltered and it wrapped around him, slid under his skin, curled into his lungs and settled deep in his chest.
His jaw tightened.
Lyra felt it too.
The air had thickened.
He wasn’t even touching her yet and her pulse had already begun to race.
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly but her voice lacked accusation.
Kaelen took another step forward.
"I needed to see you."
The honesty in it hit her harder than the words.
Rogan shifted slightly.
Kaelen glanced at him once.
"Give us a minute."
It wasn’t a command but it wasn’t a request either.
Rogan hesitated then stepped out.
When the door closed quietly behind him, silence followed and suddenly it felt dangerous.
Lyra swallowed.
Kaelen stood near the foot of the bed now.
Close enough that she could feel the heat coming off him, close enough that every nerve in her body felt awake.
"You feel different," he said.
Her fingers tightened in the bedsheet. "Different how?"
His eyes darkened. "Your scent, it’s stronger."
The word landed between them like a spark.
She didn’t understand what he ant but she felt it.
Sothing in her veins was humming and responding to him.
Kaelen inhaled slowly but instantly regretted it.
Her scent surged, warm, sweet and wild and his wolf stirred imdiately.
’Mine.’
The word slamd through him and his hands curled at his sides.
The urge wasn’t violent or curse-driven, it was an instinct to claim, mark and protect.
He took another step closer without aning to and Lyra’s breath hitched.
He was so close now that she could feel his breath on her skin.
Her fingers brushed his wrist. It was accidental or maybe it wasn’t but the reaction was instant and electric.
A wave of heat shot up his arm and straight into his chest.
Kaelen’s eyes snapped shut for half a second trying to control the strong urges.
But his hand moved on instinct, wrapping around her waist to steady himself or maybe to steady her.
Lyra gasped softly.
His grip wasn’t rough but it was possessive.
Her palms flattened against his chest.
She could feel his heartbeat, fast, powerful and dangerous but not threatening.
Her own pulse answered it.
The space between them shrank until there was none left.
Her knees were pressed into the mattress and he was leaning over her now, one hand braced beside her.
His forehead almost touched hers.
"Don’t—" he breathed but he didn’t move away.
Lyra’s voice was barely a whisper. "Kaelen—
His eyes opened and she saw it.
It was not anger but desire—raw, controlled and burning.
"Don’t look at like that," she said as her fingers tightened in his shirt.
"I am not doing anything," he answered, his voice rasp.
And that was the problem because he really wasn’t. Her body was responding on its own.
Heat pooled low in her stomach and her breath ca shallow as his scent surrounded her.
Kaelen’s wolf pushed harder this ti.
’Mark her, Claim her.’ the wolf demanded.
The urge surged so violently he had to grip the bed harder to stop himself.
His jaw clenched.
"You don’t understand what you are doing to ."
Lyra’s lips parted. "And you don’t understand what you are doing to either."
That snapped sothing
Kaelen leaned closer, so close their noses brushed.
The room felt too small for what was happening between them.
His thumb traced lightly over the side of her waist, not intentional, just instinct.
Lyra shivered and his breathing grew heavier.
If he kissed her, he would not stop.
He knew that, she knew that too but neither of them was willing to move away....
....
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