Chapter 145
Kael did not stop.
The moment Vaelor shifted back, something inside him answered with force, and he pressed forward again with a violence that no longer came from control alone. His body shook under the strain, but he held it together long enough to strike again.
"You don't touch her again," he said, his voice low and edged with something dangerous.
Vaelor's gaze darkened slightly. "You still believe this is protection."
Kael did not hesitate. "No," he said. "This is refusal."
Vaelor struck back.
The force hit Kael in the chest and drove him backward across the clearing, tearing a deep trench through the ground before he stopped. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, but he forced himself up before the pain could settle.
"Ariana," he said.
She ran toward him. The pull snapped tight.
