Lyra wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep.
Only that she woke wrapped in Kael's arms, the heat of his bare chest pressed against her back, and the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing brushing her nape.
His scent clung to her skin—wild, dark, unmistakably him.
For a moment, she stayed there, eyes half-lidded, letting herself forget everything else. The war. The blood. The bite of reality that always waited for her the moment she stepped out of warmth.
But then his fingers shifted against her hip, slow, possessive.
"You're awake," he murmured, voice still heavy with sleep.
"Mhm," she whispered.
He kissed her shoulder. Just once. Gentle. Barely there.
Lyra rolled over to face him, fingers tracing the sharp angle of his jaw.
Kael looked at her like she was a dream he was afraid to wake from.
"Did you mean it?" she asked, voice soft.
He didn't pretend not to know what she meant.
"I've never said something I meant more."
The raw honesty in his eyes nearly undid her. But Lyra had lived a life where words could be traps.
She needed more than declarations in the dark.
Her fingers slid down his chest, slow, testing.
"You don't regret last night?"
Kael's eyes darkened.
"You think I could regret tasting you? Touching you? Having you fall apart under me like that?"
She shivered, heat curling low in her belly.
But then, just as quickly, his hand gripped her wrist, halting her touch.
"And you?" he asked. "Did I cross a line?"
Her brows furrowed. "Kael "
"I need to know, Lyra."
She leaned in, pressing her forehead to his. "You didn't cross anything I didn't already want."
He growled low in his throat.
Then he rolled her beneath him.
Slow.
Deliberate.
"I'm not done wanting you," he whispered, lips ghosting over her throat.
Her breath hitched. "Then don't stop."
Kael's mouth met hers again, slow, heated, full of hunger and reverence. His hands explored her body like he was relearning every inch, memorizing her curves like scripture.
But just as he dipped his head to her collarbone, a sharp knock rattled the door.
Lyra tensed.
Kael froze above her, jaw clenching.
The knock came again, louder this time.
"What the hell?" he started.
She sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest. "Who the fuck is knocking at this hour?"
Kael grabbed his pants from the floor, pulling them on with a snarl. "If it's one of the wolves "
The door creaked open before he could finish.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped inside, hood still dripping with rain.
Lyra narrowed her eyes. "You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid."
The figure pulled back the hood.
A woman.
Tall. Pale. His silver eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Hello, Kael."
Kael's body went stiff.
Lyra glanced between them, reading the shift in his expression. "Who is she?"
Kael's voice was low. Controlled.
"Ravyn."
Lyra looked back at the woman, instantly wary. "And what the hell does Ravyn want at dawn?"
Ravyn's smile was razor-thin. "To deliver a warning."
"About what?" Kael asked, still standing protectively in front of Lyra.
Ravyn's eyes flicked to Lyra.
Then back to Kael.
"There's a vampire lord looking for her," she said flatly. "He's already crossed the border."
Kael's body tensed like steel drawn tight.
Lyra blinked. "What vampire lord?"
Ravyn didn't break eye contact. "One who used to own you."
The room fell into a silence so deep, it swallowed the firelight.
Lyra felt it before she understood it.
The cold.
The fear.
The past crawling out of the grave she'd buried it in.
Kael's voice was a low growl. "Who?"
Ravyn turned, already heading for the door. "His name's Vaerin. And he's not coming for a fight."
She paused.
"He's coming for his mate."