The night was quiet—too quiet. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath, as if the world was waiting for something to break. Inside the cabin, Kael and Lina sat by the fire, the only sound the crackling of burning wood.
Kael wasn't looking at her. His gaze was fixed somewhere beyond the flames, his mind clearly elsewhere. She could feel the tension rolling off him, thick as the smoke rising from the fire. He hadn't said much since the scouts left, and she could see the weight in his shoulders—he was always carrying something heavy.
Lina swallowed the lump in her throat. It wasn't like her to be shy or uncertain, but tonight, she didn't know what to say. She wasn't the kind of person who made someone feel… seen. Not after all the years of being invisible to herself.
But Kael had changed that.
He had seen her.
And now, for the first time in her life, she was seeing him.
"Kael…" Her voice was softer than she intended. She hesitated, not knowing if she should speak her mind, if he would want to hear it.
He didn't look at her, but he stopped what he was doing. His hands stilled, just for a moment.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said, barely above a whisper. "Not anymore."
His jaw tightened, but she saw his eyes flicker briefly. Then, he grunted softly, turning his gaze back to the fire. But it wasn't cold. It wasn't harsh.
It was… resigned.
Lina's breath caught, and she leaned forward. "You don't have to hide from me, you know."
He looked up at her then, but the wall between them was still there. His golden eyes were as fierce as ever—but now, there was something else. Something softer. Something that scared him more than any fight.
"Lina…" His voice was low, gravelly. Like he hadn't spoken in days. "You don't know what it's like. To be the one who carries the weight of everything. To be the one people look to when everything falls apart."
She shook her head slowly. "You don't have to carry it alone. Not anymore."
His expression darkened. "I don't want anyone to carry it. You're free now. You have your own fight to live. You shouldn't be weighed down by me."
"I'm not afraid of your weight," she said quietly, standing and taking a step toward him. "You're not alone anymore, Kael. I'm here. And you don't have to protect me by pushing me away."
His eyes flashed, and for a moment, it felt like he was going to pull away, retreat into that stone fortress again.
But something in her voice held him. Something in her words cut through the years of isolation he'd buried himself in.
Slowly, his expression softened—a fraction. Then, almost imperceptibly, he reached out and pulled her toward him.
It was a hesitant motion, like he wasn't sure if he had the right to touch her.
But Lina didn't pull away.
She let him guide her into his arms, where she settled against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart. It was a quiet moment—one that neither of them had expected, but one that neither of them could deny.
Kael's arms tightened around her, and his breath shuddered, barely noticeable. For a moment, he was a man, not an Alpha. Not a monster. Just a man who had carried too much for too long.
"I didn't think I could let anyone close again," he whispered, his voice thick with something that could've been regret or something worse.
Lina closed her eyes and let the warmth of his embrace settle over her. "You don't have to carry it all alone, Kael."
And this time, when he didn't answer, it wasn't because he didn't want to. It was because, for the first time in years, he didn't have to.