LYRA’S POV
Kael walked toward me slowly, each step intimidating, until he loomed over me.
I backed up, swallowing hard, my purse pressed tight to my chest like a shield.
He finally stopped, so close that his breath fanned against my face.
“Yes, we’re sharing a room,” he said.
“Unless you’d prefer the guest room.”
I nodded immediately.
“I’ll take that.”
“Fine, then.” He straightened and pointed toward the room below the staircase.
“Last room on your left.
The one near the dogs’ room.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“The dogs’ room?”
He nodded.
“And Cerberus isn’t even one of them.”
I dropped my hands to my sides.
“The main room is fine by me.”
His lips twitched, almost a smile, but he said nothing.
He turned and led the way, and I followed closely behind.
The room was…
dark.
There was barely any furniture besides a black couch on the left and a king-size bed in the middle.
The curtains were black, the couch was black, even the sheets were black.
I wondered if black was his favorite color.
As if reading my mind, Kael turned to me fully.
“If it’s not to your taste, you can have the furniture changed.”
I perked up.
“I can?
Even the sheets too?”
He frowned.
“The sheets stay.
I’m not sleeping on pink sheets.”
I turned away and rolled my eyes.
So much for letting me change the furniture…
He pointed at the clothes neatly folded on the bed.
“You can change into those for now.
Tomorrow, Nikola can take you shopping for some clothes.”
I’d completely forgotten that I’d arrived with no clothes.
“Thank you,” I said, moving over to check the pile.
Pink nightwear, two casual dresses, and…
a set of underwear?
Heat crept up to my cheeks as I stared down at them.
“Don’t worry.” Kael’s voice came from behind me.
“I didn’t pick any of it myself.”
I jumped and clutched the underwear to my chest, spinning around.
His lips curled slightly as he gestured behind him.
“The bathroom is through there.
Take a shower and get some rest.
The pack doctor will come to check on you in the morning.”
I nodded and rushed to the bathroom.
I closed the door and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath.
Was he a pervert or something?
I looked around, and my eyes widened.
The bathroom was huge, bigger than the entire bedroom I’d shared with Cassian at Silvercrest.
It had marble floors, a massive bathtub, and a separate shower with multiple jets.
And then I saw them…
shampoo, soap, and several fragrances, all from my favorite brand.
How did he know all this?
I shook my head and forced myself to focus.
It didn’t matter.
None of this mattered.
I undressed carefully and rinsed my hair thoroughly, making sure every trace of the chemical was gone.
Only when I was sure my hair was clean did I wash the rest of my body.
I washed carefully, avoiding the wounds on my wrist and the scratches on my legs.
The warm water soothed my aching muscles, and for a brief moment, I let myself relax.
When I was done, I dried off and put on the nightgown.
It was my exact size.
I stared at myself in the mirror.
How did he know my size…?
It had to be a coincidence.
Yeah.
That was all it was.
I shrugged off the feeling and stepped out.
I froze.
Kael stood in the middle of the room, a towel wrapped low around his hips.
Droplets of water ran down his broad, muscular body.
His chest was sculpted, his abs defined, his arms…
I swallowed hard.
My gaze traveled from his wet hair down to the towel, then back up again.
“If you’re done ogling…” He nudged a pair of slippers toward me.
“Come sit down.”
I blinked.
“What?”
Kael pulled a chair into the middle of the room and gestured for me to sit.
I hesitated, then quietly obeyed.
He grabbed a hairdryer and plugged it in.
“I can do this myself,” I said quickly.
He ignored me completely.
His fingers ran through my damp hair, gentle but firm, as warm air blew over my scalp.
He dried it carefully, section by section, until it was completely dry.
Then, to my surprise, he brushed it for me.
I stared at my reflection in the dark window.
I’d only known this man for two days, and he kept surprising me.
A cold, ruthless Alpha—the most feared wolf in the territory—was drying a woman’s hair as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
What exactly was going through his head?
When he finished, I turned to him.
“Thank you.”
He only nodded.
Then he climbed onto the bed and slid under the covers.
I stood there, wondering what I was supposed to do next.
He turned his head and patted the empty side of the bed.
I climbed in and pulled the sheets up to my chin, then scooted backward, leaving a wide gap between us.
“About what happened earlier,” he said suddenly.
“I didn’t mean to yell.”
What was he talking about…?
Then I realized he meant what had happened at his family’s house, when he’d roared at his cousin.
Was this his way of apologizing?
I smiled softly.
“It’s fine.”
Only then did he close his eyes.
Within moments, his breathing evened out.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft rhythm of his breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KAEL’S POV
I woke to something warm pressed against my chest.
I blinked, my body instinctively tensing before I registered the weight.
I looked down and sucked in a sharp breath.
Lyra was wrapped around me like a koala, her head tucked beneath my chin, one arm draped across my chest and one leg hooked over mine.
Her breath was warm against my skin, slow and even.
I glanced at the wide stretch of empty bed beside her.
Sometime during the night, she’d moved all the way from the far edge to my chest.
How had she ended up all the way over here?
I allowed myself a small smile as I looked down at her slightly parted lips.
She looked peaceful, as if the weight of everything she’d been through had lifted from her shoulders for a moment.
Then she stirred.
“Mmm…
good morning,” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.
“Good morning,” I said, my voice low.
I waited, because I knew what was coming.
A few seconds passed.
Then she looked down at my chest, looked up at my face, and her eyes widened.
She yelped and sprang off me as if she’d been burned.
“I’m so sorry!
Fuck, I’m sorry.” She scrambled backward, her face bright red.
“I tend to cling to things in my sleep.
I didn’t mean to…
I wasn’t…”
“It’s okay.” I smirked.
“I don’t mind being your pillow.”
Her blush deepened.
She looked away, muttering something under her breath.
I climbed out of bed and slid a shirt over my head.
“Come down for breakfast when you’re ready.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was halfway through my eggs when Lyra appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
She sat down beside me, her eyes still slightly puffy from sleep.
She looked down at the plate in front of her: eggs, toast, a generous portion of vegetables.
Her nose wrinkled.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“But I don’t like vegetables.”
“Too bad,” I said, not looking up.
“You have to eat them.”
“I don’t want to…”
I set my fork down hard, the clatter echoing through the dining room.
She hesitated.
Then she picked up her fork and started eating.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye.
“And take the pills beside your plate when you’re done.”
She nodded, chewing mechanically.
After she’d finished eating, Lyra reached into her pocket and pulled out a small flash drive.
She slid it across the table toward me.
“The evidence,” she said.
“It’s all in there.”
I looked down at it.
Five years.
For five years, I’d been after this—Cassian’s fraud, his corruption, his crimes.
And finally, it was within my grasp.
I picked up the flash drive, turning it over in my fingers.
“All of it?”
“Every document, every transaction, every forged signature.
It’s all there.”
I nodded slowly.
“Good.”
She coughed nervously, shifting in her seat.
“Can I use your phone?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t have one?”
“I do, but I snapped my SIM card in half,” she said quickly.
“I can’t make calls, and I really need to talk to my brother.”
I passed her my phone without a word.
She took it, her fingers moving quickly over the screen.
She held it to her ear and waited.
I watched her face as she listened, her expression shifting.
She muttered something I couldn’t hear.
A few minutes later, she hung up with a frown on her face and handed the phone back.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She looked up at me, her eyes sharp.
“It’s Cassian.
He’s in Moonveil.”
Lyra stood abruptly, pushing her chair back.
“I have to go to my pack house.
Who knows what my brother might do…”
I grabbed her arm.
“So you’re worried?”
She turned to me, her expression fierce.
“I’m not worried about Cassian.
I’m worried that my brother will have Cassian’s blood on his hands.”
I smirked.
“Then you’ll have a lot to worry about, Mrs.
Hart.”
She blinked.
“What do you mean?”
I stood and picked up my phone.
“You can go, but only if I come with you.”