“Ketra,” she repeated, smiling. “I like it.”
They were close enough that she could see the flecks of gold in his irises, the way his eyes flickered over her face, tracing her features with a quiet intensity that sent heat curling low in her stomach.
Neither moved. Neither pulled away.
His fingers flexed slightly against her side, the barest of touches. She felt the hesitation in him, the restraint, as though he was holding back.
Then, he bent his head, just slightly, just enough that their foreheads nearly brushed.
She swallowed hard, her pulse fluttering in her throat like a bird desperate to take flight. The world narrowed to the space between them—just a touch, a heartbeat. Slowly, she tilted her chin, closing the distance by degrees, until the tips of their noses brushed. His breath mingled with hers, warm and unsteady, and her eyes searched his.
Something shifted in his gaze—darkening, softening—right before he exhaled, slow and quiet, like a thread loosening after being pulled too tight.
Then, at last, he kissed her.
It was slow, deliberate, as if he was memorizing the shape of her mouth, the way she fit against him. There was no urgency, no demand—only quiet devotion, a careful unravelling of something long restrained.
And when she responded, melting into him, she knew there would be no taking this back. His hands skimmed her waist, grounding her in the heat curling between them. Reiya’s fingers traced the sharp edge of his jaw, the rough stubble sparking something restless in her.
There was no rush, no need to prove or take—only the pull between them, steady and undeniable.
Kaelen had kissed her like fire—bright, consuming, leaving her breathless in its wake. But Alarik kissed like the tide, deep and relentless, as if drawing her in was inevitable. She sank into it, craving the quiet strength beneath his touch.
Instinct moved her before thought, her body fitting against his as she shifted onto his lap. He groaned, a low rumble vibrating against her—a sound that sent heat pooling low in her belly. His hands found her hips, firm and sure, guiding her against him. The slow slide of his tongue teased, coaxing, deepening, until her pulse fluttered and her lungs strained for air in shallow, uneven pulls.
He was hard beneath her, the insistent press of him impossible to ignore. She moved without thinking—closer, bolder, rocking against him. Testing. Tasting.Wanting. Each motion stirred something untethered between them. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding on as if she could anchor herself in this sensation alone.
“Reiya,” he murmured, voice thick. He whispered her name like a vow, like a warning. Like he already knew—she would ruin him, and he would let her.
His grip tightened and he pulled slightly away. “Ketra, you’ll drive me mad.”
“Then let me.” She ran her hands down his chest, feeling the muscles tense beneath her touch. “Let me be the one who makes you feeleverything.”
He caught her lips again, his fingers sinking into her flesh as he moved her against him, slow and deliberate. Each roll of her hips sent heat spiralling through her, sharpening the ache with every passing second. The world melted away, leaving only the two of them, lost in something fierce and tender, wild and consuming.
Her thoughts blurred as she rubbed herself on him, her body burning with a need she didn’t fully understand. But one word cut through the haze, raw and instinctive.
Alpha.
The urge to say it, to recognize him as the one igniting this fire inside her, grew stronger with every passing moment.
Her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him closer, as if she could press the word into him without speaking it, as if he would understand—because maybe, just maybe, he already did.
Afew hours later, the moon hung high, casting a pale glow over the sleeping camp. The stars shimmered like scattered silver, the world hushed beneath their light.
And it was time to leave.
Reiya returned to the tent she shared with Mei Mei, gathering what little she owned—the three matching braided bracelets she’d been weaving, a skein of water, a small portion of dry graincakes.
Mei Mei lay curled on their thin mattress, her small face bathed in moonlight. The smudges of exhaustion beneath her eyes remained, but in sleep, her features softened, free—if only for a while—from fear.
Reiya knelt beside her, brushing her fingers through the child’s silky raven hair. Unclasping the limyerite crystal necklace from her own neck, she hesitated only briefly before placing it into Mei Mei’s open palm. Instinctively, the girl’s fingers curled around it, holding it close even in dreams.
“One day, we’ll meet again,” Reiya whispered. “And you’ll tell me all your grand adventures.”
Mei Mei stirred, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. Reiya lingered, memorizing every detail—the warmth of her presence, the quiet rise and fall of her breaths, the trust that had grown between them in the weeks they’d shared a bedroll.
After pressing a gentle kiss to the girl’s forehead, she rose and stepped into the waiting night.
