Her body burned at the words, the memory of his lips on her skin unraveling in her mind. Oh, no. He was not going to do this to her again. Not when he had spent days ignoring her, only to come back swinging with seduction and smirks.
“I prefer someone who can actually tell me how he feels.” Her voice was sharp, cutting through the thick tension. “And not just physically.”
His smirk vanished, his jaw locking tight.
“Why is it so hard for you to let me in?” Evelyne pressed. “Why can’t you just say what you want?”
They stared at each other, neither blinking, silence stretching thick between them. She thought he was about to shut her out again, raising that stone wall between them, the one he rarely let fall. But this time, he didn’t. Instead, his shoulders eased, tension slipping from his frame as the sharp edge in his eyes finally softened.
“I don’t let people in easily,” he said, and the honesty of his words hit her harder than she was ready for. “I’m afraid that if I let myself care for anyone else, I’ll lose them too.” His hand curled into a fist at his side. “It’s already hard enough with Holden and Heidara. I wake up wondering what I’d do if something happened to them.”
She stayed quiet, sensing the significance of whatever he would say next.
“It happened a few years ago.” He swallowed, his throat bobbing. “I now understand that I can sense when the Noskari are near, but I ignored it the first time it happened. I felt something, but I brushed it aside and went back to sleep.” His fingers dragged through his hair. “By the time I ran outside, I heard screaming from a voice I knew all too well.”
Evelyne’s chest tightened.
“My mother.”
He didn’t look at her, but she reached for his hand, running her thumb lightly over his knuckles.
“I was too late,” he continued. “Because I went back to sleep. I could’ve reached them sooner, but I didn’t. And when I finally arrived, the Noskari were already standing over my mother’s body. My father was lying beside her, still breathing, but just enough to say goodbye.”
Her throat burned, her fingers tightening around his.
“That’s when I realized my ability,” he said bitterly. “I screamed loud enough to wake the entire pack, but by the time they reached me, the Noskari were already gone. And then…” He gestured to the tattoo swirling down his arm. “This claimed me.”
She frowned. “Claimed you?”
“The alpha mark chooses the next strongest member in the pack when an alpha dies. Not by birthright, but by strength and loyalty. And I was chosen.” He paused, jaw clenched, before going on. “A few weeks afterthey died, I learned something worse. The Noskari don’t just feed and kill, but can transfer a piece of themselves to a host, if they choose. Like a parasite that anchors to one’s soul. And once it’s inside, it takes root and grows. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, depending on how strong the host is, and whether they fight it. But once infected…” His eyes flicked to hers. “Well, you know what happens.”
Evelyne’s stomach twisted at the thought, but beneath the horror was a deep ache for him, for everything he had endured. “It wasn’t your fault, Kaldrek,” she said softly.
He let out a slow breath, his gaze locked on hers, like he was trying to find truth in her words. Then he cleared his throat and shook his head, his expression flickering before settling into something guarded again.
“I didn’t mean to push you away,” he said quietly. “Or make you feel like you weren’t wanted. I just—”
“I understand,” she cut in gently. “You already have people to protect. Holden and Heidara… They’re your family.”
He nodded. “They’ve both been through more than most. But that’s not my story to tell.”
A beat passed before he pulled his hand away from hers, and a small smile tugged at his lips, an attempt to shift the mood.
“I got you something,” he murmured. Her brows lifted in surprise as he reached beside him and pulled out a small, leather-bound book. “For your birthday,” he added.
She stared at it for a moment, touched. “You…” she whispered, accepting the gift, fingertips brushing over the worn cover. “You didn’t have to.”
Kaldrek shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what kind of stories you liked, but folklore about witches and handsome wolves seemed like a safe bet.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest, and she chuckled. “I love it.” She paused, then smirked. “Didn’t know you noticed that I liked to read.”
“I notice everything about you,” he said without hesitation.
Her breath caught, and she ducked her head, a flush rising to her cheeks. He really could be gentle when he let his guard down. And maybe those days of silence had been his way of protecting her. If that was true, she could forgive him for it.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “For the book, and for being honest with me.”
She leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. When she pulled back, his eyes were wide, lingering on her lips with a hunger that made her pulse stutter. But before either of them could speak, a familiar voice cut through the moment, and she felt Kaldrek go tense beside her.
