9: Unspoken Bonds
Kaelen’s POV
The morning air was crisp as I stepped out onto the balcony. The council’s
accusations, the rogue attack, Lucien’s challenge–all of it swirled in my head like a storm I couldn’t quiet.
Below, the training grounds were alive with movement. Warriors clashed in disciplined formations, the clang of swords and low grunts of exertion rising to meet me. My pack. My responsibility.
Then I saw her.
Celeste stood at the edge of the field, her hair catching the light like threads of fire. She was speaking to one of the warriors, her posture unyielding.
When she stepped onto the field, my chest tightened.
“What is she doing?” I muttered.
Vedmus stirred in the back of my mind, his voice sharp. “She’s proving herself. Let her.”
“She doesn’t have to prove anything,” I growled, the words rougher than I intended.
“Not to you,” Vedmus replied coolly. “But to them.”
My jaw clenched as I watched Celeste square off against her first opponent. Her movements were quick, precise–an agility honed by experience, not formal training. The warriors exchanged skeptical glances, but she didn’t falter.
a
A mix of pride and frustration churned in my chest. She shouldn’t have to fight for their respect. She was their Luna. That should have been enough.
By the time I joined her on the field, the tension among the warriors had shifted. Their initial doubt had been replaced by something closer to admiration.
Celeste stood at the center, drenched in sweat, her chest heaving with exertion. Despite her exhaustion, her eyes burned with triumph.
“You’ve made an impression,” I said as I approached.
She turned, her blue eyes meeting mine. “Did I?” she asked, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.
I nodded, casting a glance at the warriors still lingering nearby. “They’re not easily impressed.”
Her lips curved into a faint, wry smile. “Good. Neither am I.”
I chuckled, the sound surprising even me. “Come on. You need to rest.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, though the trembling in her hands betrayed her.
“Celeste,” I said, my tone firmer as I stepped closer. “You’ve done enough for today. Let me take care of the rest.”
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9: Unspoken Bonds
For a moment, she looked as though she might argue, but then she sighed softly and gave a reluctant nod.
Back in her chambers, I poured water into a basin, handing her a cloth. Her shoulders eased slightly as she took it, her fingers brushing against mine.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Leaning against the edge of the table, I watched as she wiped the sweat from her face and neck. Her movements were slow, deliberate, and something about the silence between us felt… intimate.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said after a moment.
“Do what?” she asked, glancing up.
“Prove yourself,” I replied. “They’ll respect you because you’re their Luna. You don’t need to fight for it.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Respect isn’t given, Kaelen. It’s earned. You of all people should know that.”
She was right, of course. But that didn’t make it any easier to watch her put herself on the line.
“You’re stubborn,” I said, shaking my head.
“And you’re overprotective,” she countered, a hint of a smirk tugging at her lips.
I laughed softly, the sound low and unguarded. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It’s not,” she admitted, her voice softening. “But you can’t shield me from everything, Kaelen. I need to stand on my own.”
Pushing off the table, I stepped closer, my presence filling the space between us. “You‘ re not alone, Celeste. You never will be.”
Her breath hitched, her gaze searching mine. For a moment, the weight of everything else–Magnus, the council, the rogues–faded into nothing.
It was just her.
I reached out, my fingers brushing against her cheek. Her skin was warm, her scent faint but unmistakable. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed.
“Kaelen,” she whispered.
That was all it took.
I tilted her chin, claiming her lips with a need I could no longer deny. She melted into me, her hands fisting in my shirt as though she needed me to keep her upright.
The kiss deepened, weeks of tension and unspoken desire spilling over. My arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between us.
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- Unspoken Bonds
She gasped softly, the sound sending a shiver down my spine.
When we finally broke apart, her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked, her voice trembling with both hesitation and
need.
I rested my forehead against hers, my voice rough. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
The room seemed smaller, the air thick with anticipation as I guided her toward the bed. She moved with me, her trust evident in every step.
I laid her down gently, my body hovering over hers as my fingers traced the curve of her collarbone. Her breathing quickened, her eyes locking on mine as if to say, I’m
yours.
“You’re beautiful,” I whispered, the words slipping out unbidden.
Her cheeks flushed, her lips curving into a shy smile. “So are you.”
I chuckled softly, pressing my lips to the hollow beneath her ear. Her scent filled my senses–wildflowers and something uniquely her. She shivered beneath me, her nails grazing my skin in a way that made Vedmus rumble in approval.
“Kaelen,” she whispered again, her voice like a prayer.
I answered her with another kiss, my hands exploring the delicate lines of her body. She responded in kind, her legs entwining with mine as our connection deepened.
The world outside us faded away. There was only her–her touch, her voice, her heartbeat echoing with mine.
When it was over, we lay together in the quiet. Her head rested on my chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns along my skin.
“Kaelen,” she murmured, her voice sleepy yet content.
“Hm?”
She looked up at me, her blue eyes soft. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For letting me in.”
I pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her hair. “You didn’t give me much of a choice.”
Her laugh was soft, a warmth spreading through me like nothing I’d ever known. For
the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to relax.
