Josie
The only thing I could focus on was the sound of my own breathing.
Sharp, uneven, raw.
Kiel’s hand gripped mine as he pulled through the winding halls and past startled pack mbers. His strides were long, rushed—almost angry—and I struggled to keep up without tripping over the edge of my gown. The guards followed, their presence like shadows with teeth, tense with every movent Kiel made, like they weren’t sure if they should stop him or help him.
We stopped only when we reached the stairs that spiraled up and up—then he tugged again. My pulse thundered in my ears, my heart an unsteady drum.
I had no idea where we were going until we stepped out into open air.
The cold hit first, biting my skin with sharp teeth. I gasped, clutching my arms, but then—
Oh.
The rooftop was nothing like I expected.
Fairy lights stretched overhead, crisscrossing like constellations just close enough to touch. A long table sat in the corner, layered in white cloth, flickering candles, and dishes I couldn’t na. Surrounding it were low shrubs in planters, making the rooftop feel like a secret garden in the sky. From here, the rest of the pack lands looked like a painting—dusky blue trees, golden lights, and smoke curling into the stars.
It was breathtaking.
I blinked, half in disbelief. "Why are we here?"
Kiel’s voice was soft, almost hesitant. "Do you like it?"
I nodded, tightening my arms around myself as the cold seeped in deeper. "It’s beautiful."
He stepped closer, removing his jacket without hesitation and draping it over my shoulders. The warmth of it—of him—settled into my bones. My eyes t his as he led toward the edge of the rooftop, where the view was most perfect.
He didn’t touch again, just stood near enough to feel.
"I’m sorry," he said quietly. "For pulling you away like that."
"I just... I didn’t expect this." I let out a breath. "Why did you bring up here?"
"I had no idea Varen would bring you to a party like that," he said, his voice tight. "What was he thinking?"
I looked down at my hands, trying to find a fair explanation. "I don’t think he ant any harm. He—"
"Josie," Kiel interrupted, his voice low, but edged with steel. "If that were true, he wouldn’t have left you alone in a place like that. That party was full of males who don’t see ogas as anything but targets."
I froze.
Ogas.
He said it like it was a warning, not a category I belonged to. I felt it like a slap, even though he didn’t an it that way.
My throat tightened, and I looked away, forcing a small smile to my lips that didn’t reach my eyes. He didn’t notice. He kept talking, pacing slowly as if trying to calm his own frustration.
"They would’ve devoured you, Josie. If I hadn’t—" he stopped himself, his jaw clenching.
Silence stretched. Cold and tight and awkward. I had been too focused on them to even notice that.
He finally turned to , his expression shifting when he saw my face. "Hey... I thought I was the one who didn’t talk much," he joked weakly.
I didn’t laugh.
I t his eyes, my voice trembling but steady. "Do you regret it?"
His brow furrowed. "Regret what?"
"Being with ," I whispered. "Bonding with ."
The air between us froze. Sothing flickered in his gaze—hurt? Guilt?
He let out a breath, low and weary. "Will we always circle back to this sa question?"
I shrugged. "Maybe if I had an answer, I wouldn’t keep asking."
He stared at for a beat. Then, without a word, he stepped forward and pulled into his arms. I gasped, too stunned to react at first.
"Let’s dance," he murmured against my ear.
"What?" I blinked up at him.
"There’s music," he said simply. And now I realized he was right—faint notes drifted from speakers I hadn’t noticed, hidden among the vines and lights. "We’re alone. Dance with ."
"Kiel, I—"
He didn’t wait. He moved with that unshakable confidence of his, guiding my hands to his shoulders, curling his arm around my waist. My breath caught as he swayed us gently, slowly, as though we were the only two people in the world.
Maybe we were.
For a mont, I forgot everything—my doubts, the cold, the guards watching from the shadows. All I could see was him. The way his eyes held mine like he was afraid I’d vanish. The way our bond buzzed to life between us, warm and electric.
"You’re precious," he said suddenly, voice thick with sincerity. "If I ever regretted being with you, I wouldn’t have accepted the bond in the first place."
My heart thudded in response.
"I love you too much to hurt you," he added.
And just like that, he kissed .
It wasn’t soft.
It was full, intense—like he was trying to pour every word he hadn’t said into through his lips. My breath vanished, and I let myself fall into it, into him. His hands cupped my face, and the kiss deepened, setting fire to every inch of . I didn’t know where I ended and he began. It was the most delicious, dizzying feeling I had ever experienced.
I might’ve lted if—
A scream tore through the air like a blade.
We broke apart instantly, our heads snapping to the entrance of the rooftop.
There she stood.
Michelle.
Her blonde hair was curled perfectly, and her red dress shimred like fire under the lights. She looked like a princess straight out of a fairytale. But her eyes—her eyes were filled with tears. Pain. Fury.
Her voice cracked. "How could you, Kiel?"
Silence slamd down like a weight.
"How could you do this to ?" she whispered, taking a shaky step forward. "With her?"
I reached for words, for breath, for anything that could make sense of what was happening. I expected Kiel to say sothing, to explain, to stand with .
But he didn’t.
When Michelle turned and ran, he didn’t hesitate.
He followed her.
I didn’t realize I had staggered back until the cold slapped again, harsher now without his jacket. My arms were bare. My lips tingled with the ghost of his kiss. My heart—
It shattered.
And this ti, I felt every damn crack.
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