Chapter 9
Aria’s POV.
I woke up alone, the bed cold and empty beside me. The soft sheets, rumpled from last night’s hot sex, felt like a harsh reminder of Alpha Kael’s absence.
My heart stuttered, a sharp pang slicing through my chest as I stared at the empty bed where he should have been.
Where was he? The room was silent, save for the faint creak of the wooden beams above and the distant howl of the morning wind outside the Shadow Claw packhouse.
Had he slipped away before dawn, unable to bear the sight of me in the light of day? My mind churned, replaying every touch, every whispered breath from last night.
Had he not enjoyed having me? Had he not felt the same fire that had consumed me when our bodies came close, when the mate bond came to life?
I shook my head, trying to shove the doubts away, but they clung like damp moss. My fingers twisted in the sheets, knuckles whitening. No, Aria, I scolded myself. It’s only a matter of time. He’ll crave you more. He has to.
Last night wasn’t just a fleeting moment; it was the start of something unbreakable. The mate bond didn’t lie, did it? I forced a breath, slow and shaky, willing my heart to steady.
Alpha Kael had claimed me, his hands fierce and sure, his onyx eyes burning with something I couldn’t name. That had to mean something. It had to.