Chapter 171
Chapter 171
ARIA
Finished
I woke slowly, consciousness returning in gradual layers. The bed was warm and comfortable, sunlight filtering through the curtains suggesting it was well past dawn. My body ached-not from injury, thankfully, but from the accumulated stress and tension of yesterday’s attack. Every muscle felt like it had been wound too tight for too long.
But there was something else. Something that made me pause in that half-awake state before fully opening
my eyes.
I wasn’t alone. And whoever was with me was watching me.
I opened my eyes to find Kael propped up on one elbow beside me, his gaze fixed on my face with an intensity that would have been unsettling if it wasn’t also somehow tender. His expression was soft, contemplative, like he’d been lying there for a while just observing me sleep.
“Good morning,” he said quietly when he saw I was awake.
“Morning,” I managed, my voice rough from sleep. Then reality caught up with my brain and I sat up abruptly, suddenly alert. “Wait. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in meetings? Planning security responses after the attack? There’s so much that needs p>
“I took the day off,” Kael interrupted calmly.
I stared at him, certain I’d misheard. “You what p>
“Took the day off,” he repeated, that soft expression becoming something like amusement at my shock. “Today and tomorrow, actually. We both need a break p>
“But the attack,” I protested. “Damon’s escape. The security protocols that need updating. The investigation -there’s too much happening for you to just take time off p>
“Which is exactly why I’m taking time off,” Kael said. He shifted to sit up properly, taking one of my hands in his. “Aria, think about it. Since we bonded-hell, since before we bonded, since the moment you arrived in Shadowmere-things have been constantly chaotic. The curse breaking. The political complications. The attacks. The false accusations and near execution. Yesterday’s ambush. It’s been crisis after crisis with no breathing room between them p>
“That’s just how things are right now,” I said. “We can’t control when emergencies happen p>
“No, but we can control how we respond to them,” Kael countered. “And I realized something last night while lying awake. We’ve never actually done anything as a couple. We’ve never had time to just be together without pack business or security threats or political maneuvering taking priority. We got mated, and then immediately got thrown into surviving rather than actually building a relationship p>
The truth of his words hit me harder than expected. He was right. Our entire bond had been formed and existed in the context of crisis management. We’d never had normal. Had never experienced what being mates should feel like without constant external pressure.
14:35 Mon, Dec 29 MGO
Chapter 171
“So what are you suggesting” I asked cautiously
433035
Finished
“A break,” Kael said simply. “Two days where we’re not Alpha and Luna dealing with pack business. Just Kael and Aria, taking time to actually get to know each other without disaster interrupting every conversation”
“But what about Sera’s paper?” I asked, my stomach clenching with anxiety. “The one she gave you about the investigation. You haven’t read it yet p>
Kael’s expression became more serious. “No, I haven’t. And I’m not going to. Not yet p>
Why not? The question came out sharper than I’d intended, driven by the fear that had been eating at me since Sera had handed him that folded note.
“Because knowing Sera, she might have written down the name of someone important to me specifically to make me doubt them,” Kael explained. His tone was measured, thoughtful. “She could have put down Nina’s name. Or Jordan’s. Or Ivory’s Anyone I trust implicitly, just to create conflict and suspicion. And given that she lured us to Blackwood deliberately to give Damon time to escape and organize that attack-given that her entire strategy seems to be manipulation and misdirection-I’m not ready to let her information dictate my actions or beliefs p>
I felt simultaneous relief and increased anxiety at his words. Relief that he wasn’t reading it immediately, that I had more time before my secret was exposed. But increased anxiety because eventually he would read it, and the longer I let him remain ignorant, the worse the betrayal would seem when truth finally emerged.
“But shouldn’t you know?” I pressed. “Shouldn’t you have all the information so you can respond appropriately p>
“Eventually, yes, Kael agreed. “But not right now. Not when I’m exhausted and we’re both traumatized from yesterday and emotions are running too high for rational assessment. Sera wins if she makes me paranoid and suspicious of everyone around me. So I’m choosing to wait. To let some time pass. To approach her information with clearer perspective after we’ve both had a chance to actually rest and recover p>
He leaned forward and kissed me gently. “So get ready. We’re going hunting p>
“Hunting?” I repeated, certain I’d misunderstood.
“Hunting,” Kael confirmed with a slight smile. “In wolf form. Just the two of us running through the forest, enjoying being wolves without any agenda beyond catching dinner and spending time together p>
Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door. Kael called permission to enter, and Nina appeared, looking surprisingly cheerful given her injury yesterday.
Q
20
Mark