HE KINGDOM TH

Pack Territory didn't

obeye

ving like they were alive. Aria watched it happen, understanding something

why he'd claimed her, what he wanted, where this ended. Because every answer he gave

e moment they cros

k grounds disappeared-torches, familiar voices, the last threads of her old life

teps

he did. "You can stop if you intend

ghtened. "I'm

keep w

their heads as Kael passed. None of them met his eyes. But all of them looked at h

t

h

ss immediately. Dark marble pillars rose into shadows so deep light seemed to stop before reaching them. At th

opped

face her. "So

asked quietly, nod

becomes concrete,

nswer. Instead, she forced herself

d something shift in his expre

id to argue with

I'm also tired of not understand

to the glowing

didn'

ped. "I will n

et and absolute. S

uched the circle, the

s and rising up her legs like living chains. Aria tried to stumb

she gasped, pulling a

protocol. It's going to anchor

was real now. The light was moving higher, tigh

t need to

her eyes. When she opened them again, the bindings had stabi

broke th

Maje

the shadows. Ancient. Powerful. His eyes w

ol?" he asked, his voice uncertain in a way t

" Kae

hat magnitude combined with binding exposure should have-" He

heart rate s

looked at her. "But she's

lap. Useful. Not safe. N

ite the bindings. "I'm no

"No," he agreed. "You're s

ootsteps echoed through the

through t

ry. Clearly he'd ridden hard from the gather

" he said, and it

at him. "She walked fr

iam's voice was shaking now-rage and something und

ected coldly. "The moment you r

orward. "She

urned

But the entire hall seemed to dim in response

thal. "She was your mistake. You had something extr

went white

ply. "Guards will escort you back

er the moment she steppe

urn through her immediately like it should have. The way her body was

by now. Would have accepted th

t

le circumstances-she was still defiant. Still angry.

have irr

it fascin

ael felt something shift in his chest. A recognit

anomaly. The one thing in his carefully controll

ng worth un

im, Kael felt something darker than anger. Possess

man. That was the mistake. A