The bond still pulsed faintly against Kael’s throat, a soft, lingering warmth from the magic they’d shared—but it remained incomplete. Lyra hadn’t allowed him to return the bite.
From her hiding place beneath the silver-leaved willow, Lyra watched as Elowen slid into a waiting black car, her lips curved in smug satisfaction. Kael lingered behind, motionless beneath the moonlight, until Beta Cyrus emerged from the treeline, his scent sharp with irritation.
“You’re telling me,” Cyrus growled, his voice a low rumble, “that you let her mark you, and you didn’t return it?”
Kael’s tone was steady, far too even. “It was her choice.”
Cyrus’s brows knit together, disbelief cutting across his features. “Her choice? She’s not even your mate, Alpha. You’ve lost your mind. The Alpha of Luminara shouldn’t be marked by someone who won’t even wear his claim.”
“I don’t need her to,” Kael said, tilting his head toward the stars. “She wanted it her way, and I didn’t stop her.”
Cyrus let out a harsh breath, pacing in the shadows. “You’d hand her the stars if she asked for them.”
Kael didn’t bother to argue.