She felt safe—in Kaelen’s arms, with Alarik behind her.
She closed her eyes.
And let herself be held.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
KAELENDRIN
Some time later, Kaelen closed the door behind him with a quiet click, exhaling as he leaned his weight against the solid wood. The tension in his shoulders eased—but only slightly.
Reiya’s symptoms had finally ebbed, leaving her boneless with exhaustion, her breathing deep and even in sleep. His brother stayed alert, watchful, guarding her the way a desert predator might guard its den—silent, unyielding.
Pushing off the door, he moved down the corridor, his boots muffled against the tiled floor. He scanned the shadows ahead, looking for a glimpse of the bathhouse proprietress.
He remembered the sharp glint of her dark eyes when he’d first stormed through the threshold. The proud, unbending line of her shoulders—the way she moved like a woman who owed nothing to anyone.
Solmaz.
A name that fit the quick, decisive woman with coffee-dark curls and a gaze sharp enough to strip a man bare.
There hadn’t been time for pleasantries earlier. His and Alarik’s focus had been singular—Reiya. Their priority hadbeen easing her through the torment between need and agony, a torment that could twist into unbearable pain without an Alpha’s steady presence.
It had been years since his path last crossed with Solmaz. She was a figure from his past, but more than that, she was a rarity among Omegas—one who thrived in the shadows of power, weaving whispers into weapons.
She didn’t just know things. She found them, cultivated them, polished secrets the way a jeweller honed rare gems.
If anyone could untangle the threads of Reiya’s near-abduction—if anyone had caught the faintest trace of who was truly behind the bounty notice—it would be her.
Kaelen halted a passing bath attendant with a subtle lift of his hand. “Is your mistress available?”
The girl bowed and asked him to wait before slipping away. He exhaled and leaned casually against the cool stone wall beside a potted palm, tapping his boot against the rug-lined floor. He knew Solmaz’s world didn’t yield to force or impatience; it demanded timing and restraint.
The reminder made his jaw tighten.
Still, he waited.
Then, the woman emerged as if the ground itself bent to her will. Languid but purposeful, her golden robes shimmered in the light filtering through the windows. Her coffee-toned curls framed a face honed by wit and tempered by time. Though past the first bloom of youth, she carried her age as an asset rather than a liability, her poise and wisdom turning what others might call a disadvantage into a weapon sharpened by experience.
Her gaze locked onto him immediately, her head tilting in a slow, feline gesture—appraising, amused.
“Imagine my surprise when my man fetched the Alphas Yara asked for,” she drawled, her voice rich and honeyed, but with an edge sharp enough to cut.
“It turned out to be you—the Ethereal Sovereign, Tazahrin Kaelendrin Asad. The maiden is surprisingly well-connected.” A slow, knowing smile curled her lips, her gaze glittering with intrigue. “But, of course, she’s not an ordinary maiden, is she?”
Kaelen inclined his head, unable to hold back a smirk. “I doubt anything surprises you that much, Solmaz.” He folded his arms across his chest and stepped in front of her. “I’ve been waiting to see you again.”
She arched a perfectly shaped brow, her lips curving into a mocking smile.
“You? Waiting?” A purr of amusement laced her tone. “A Sunborn Alpha showing restraint? I never would’ve thought. Perhaps even the brightest flame can learn to smoulder.”
Her words teased, but there was precision in them, an intended chord struck.
Kaelen exhaled softly, smirk deepening. “High praise from someone who knows how to wield both fire and shadows. I’ve learned patience is a virtue, especially when dealing with someone as informed as you.”
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly—the playful glint giving way to something sharper.
“Flattery, Prince? That’s not your usual weapon of choice. Which means you want something.”
