"I figured you were too occupied with pack matters," I said softly, keeping my scent carefully neutral. "I didn't want to burden you."

Something flickered across his face, a brief shadow passing through those amber eyes. He stepped forward to embrace me, his arms wrapping around my smaller frame. "I'm your mate. You could never burden me."

I didn't pull away, but I didn't lean into his warmth either.

The moment my head rested against his shoulder, breathing in the familiar pine and storm scent of him, the question slipped out before I could stop it: "The same way you feel about Aurora?"

I regretted it instantly.

It made me sound like a jealous Omega fighting for scraps of her Alpha's attention.

His body went rigid for a split second, his wolf stirring with something I couldn't read, before he recovered. He chuckled, stroking my hair with practiced ease. "Of course it's the same."

Just then, Kael's howl-call came through the message-sigil on my wrist.

I kept it brief in front of Fenris—a few short responses through the magical link before closing the connection.