Kael reached over and pinched her cheek, his gaze heavy with undisguised want and smug satisfaction.
"Don't worry. I'll reward you properly tonight."
The mount carried them through the glittering heart of the territory before pulling into the curved entrance of a high-status guest den.
I didn't watch the rest. I closed the scrying feed.
Seven nights later. The annual Moon Gala.
The great hall blazed with light—enchanted crystals refracting into a thousand prismatic shards, ceremonial goblets catching the glow as they clinked in endless toasts beneath the full moon streaming through the skylights.
I stood by the head table, exchanging pleasantries with the Pack Elders. My gaze, however, kept drifting toward the entrance.
Selene and Kael were the last to arrive.
They swept in side by side. Selene wore a wine-red gown that bared her shoulders, her appearance immaculate. But the flush lingering on her cheekbones was harder to conceal—the telltale remnant of whatever had delayed them. Her scent carried traces of him, barely masked beneath perfumed oils.