Eira’s POV

By the time we finally returned to the guest residence, the night had stretched deep and heavy, and exhaustion weighed on every part of me.

Raven had already fallen asleep, his small body relaxed, his breathing soft and steady. A quiet smile touched my lips at the sight of him. All I wanted now was to curl up beside him and surrender to sleep just as peacefully.

I was too tired to even think of changing. The dress clung to me, the sandals still on my feet, but I could not bring myself to care.

"Let me help you," Kael said softly.

I let out a tired yawn, my gaze drifting longingly toward the bed. "Can’t we just skip it?"

"You will be uncomfortable in that dress," he replied.

Before I could protest further, he had already begun. His hands were gentle as he removed my sandals and loosened the dress. Then, without effort, he lifted me into his arms.

I leaned into him, my head resting against his shoulder as I breathed in his scent. Warm. Familiar. Comforting.

He placed me carefully on the bed before leaving briefly, only to return with a damp towel. With quiet patience, he wiped away the exhaustion of the day, the coolness of the cloth soothing against my skin. The heaviness in my body eased, little by little.

Then he brought a soft nightdress and helped me into it, his movements careful, unhurried.

When he moved to sit near my feet and began to massage them, I almost melted.

God.

It felt perfect.

I had never felt this relaxed, not just physically, but mentally as well due to how everything was getting right in my life. Every tension seemed to dissolve beneath his touch.

Sleep tugged at me, pulling me under, but I forced myself to stay awake.

There were still things I needed to know.

"Kael?" I murmured, my eyes half closed.

"Hmm," he responded, his fingers continuing their slow, precise movements.

"I saw many pureblood shewolves today," I said quietly.

"Hmm."

I frowned slightly at his unbothered response. "I used to think you let me stay in your home because there were no other shewolves. That you had no choice but to accept me." My voice softened. "But that does not seem to be the case."

"Hmm."

My eyes snapped open.

"What? Just ’hmm’?" I pulled my feet away from his hold, annoyance breaking through my exhaustion. "Do you not have anything to say?"

He looked up at me, calm as ever, before shifting to lie beside me.

I turned toward him, waiting. This time, I would not let it go unanswered.

His hand reached up, gently brushing against my cheek, easing the frustration that had begun to rise.

"If I had chosen one of those shewolves from noble families," he said quietly, "I would have had to mark her and make her my mate. I did not want that and it would have been like wasting their life, while they could be happier with some other alpha. I only needed a pureblood to save Sophia. And those women would never have agreed for it. They would have found a way to eliminate her instead."

I understood that part.

But something else troubled me.

"You did not want a mate," I said slowly. "Then why did you want to save Sophia? You did not even know the truth about her back then."

His gaze shifted slightly, thoughtful.

"I wanted to save her because I had made a promise to my mother," he replied. "But I was never going to make her my mate. Never. I never saw her that way."

His voice remained steady, certain.

"After that incident, everyone assumed I loved her. I did not bother correcting them because of my mother. And when she carried my child, the guilt... it made me feel responsible for her. I took care of her because I had to. Because I believed I owed her that."

A pause.

"But there were never any feelings," he added quietly. "If you had not returned, if the truth had never come out, I would have given her the title of my wife to protect her dignity and fulfill my mother’s wish. But she would never have been my mate. That was never an option."

I felt relieved to hear it. The thought of my mate liking someone was unsettling.

"You are an Alpha," I murmured. "You still needed a mate. And those shewolves..."

"None of them could have been made it," he interrupted gently. "Despite the hate, my heart..." His gaze met mine, unwavering. "It had already chosen you. All these years it never forgot you."

A soft smile curved on my lips.

"I am glad it did choose me."

I lifted myself slightly and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Back then, I was afraid of you. I thought you were nothing but arrogance and pride. How wrong I was."

He returned the kiss, softer this time. "You should sleep," he murmured. "Or I might start thinking you are ready for something else tonight."

I pulled back instantly, turning away and curling toward Raven. "I am sleepy. Good night."

A quiet chuckle sounded behind me, followed by the warmth of his body as he wrapped an arm around me.

My eyes drifted shut, but a thought lingered.

"Kael?" I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Can I speak with Kaizan tomorrow?"

There was a brief pause.

"Any reason?"

"I do not know," I admitted softly. "I just feel like I should. Like there is something I need to ask him."

Another moment of silence passed before he answered.

"I will arrange it. If he is still here."

"Thank you," I murmured.

-----

The next day a meeting was arranged with Kaizan just as I asked for.

The man was waiting for me in the garden of our guest residence. He must have been permitted to enter the main palace just because of me.

He stood facing the grand fountain at the center of the garden, his back towards me, his posture relaxed as he faced the cascading water. The sound of it filled the quiet space, masking the tension that seemed to linger in the air.

My mates had allowed me to meet him alone, though I could feel their presence at a distance, watchful and alert.

I stepped closer.

Before I could speak, Kaizan turned, as if he had sensed me the moment I entered his space.

Our eyes met.

And for a brief second, I forgot why I had come.

There was something about him.

On the surface, he appeared calm. Composed. Almost indifferent. But his gaze... it was unsettling. Deep, unreadable, as though it concealed layers no one could ever fully uncover. It did not invite understanding. It denied it.

And that faint smirk, always resting on his lips, made it worse. It carried a quiet arrogance, one that made you feel insignificant, as though you stood before someone who already knew far more than you ever could.

Someone dangerous. Someone wicked.

But I refused to let that affect me.

I straightened slightly, steadying myself.

I was not the same woman I had once been. Not the one who could be easily shaken or silenced.

And here, in this place, I was safe.

He would not harm me, because he was the reason I was standing here safe and sound.

So I met his gaze without hesitation, refusing to look away.