Chapter 151
Ariana didn't move after she said it, even though she could feel the tension in Kael immediately. His body had gone still beneath her hand, not calm but controlled in a way that felt forced, and the rhythm of his heartbeat hadn't settled since they stepped inside. If anything, it had grown heavier, each beat stronger than the last, as if something inside him was pressing closer instead of fading.
"Kael," she said quietly, watching him.
He looked at her, but there was strain in his expression now, something he wasn't trying to hide anymore. It wasn't anger, and it wasn't distance. It was effort, the kind that came from holding something in place that didn't want to stay there.
"You should step back," he said.
His voice was controlled, but it didn't sound steady.
Ariana shook her head. "No."
He let out a slow breath, but it didn't calm him. His shoulders stayed tight, and she felt it clearly through her hand. "I'm serious," he said.
