The kiss in the great hall wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t soft. It was a declaration—fierce, unapologetic, a blade pressed to the throat of every whisper, every doubt, every lie that had tried to tear us apart. My lips met Kael’s with a force that stole my breath, my body arching into his as if pulled by gravity itself. The bond flared—hot, electric, alive—crimson and gold magic surging between us like a storm given form. Around us, the great hall fell silent. No murmurs. No gasps. Just the crackle of the fire, the echo of our synchronized breaths, the relentless pulse of the bond.
When we pulled apart, his thumb brushed my lower lip, his golden eyes burning into mine. “You’re not what I expected,” I whispered, my voice rough, raw.
“Neither are you,” he said, his voice a low growl. “But I wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
And for the first time, I believed him.
Not because he’d thrown Mira’s lie into the fire. Not because he’d stood before the keep and claimed me in front of them all. But because of the way his hand trembled—just slightly—when he touched my face. Because of the way his scent had shifted—storm and iron, yes, but beneath it, something softer. Something vulnerable.
He wasn’t just the Alpha. He wasn’t just the predator.
He was mine.
And I—
I was his.
***
We didn’t return to the suite. Not yet. The air was still too thick with tension, the weight of what had just happened pressing against my chest like a living thing. Instead, Kael led me through the keep, his hand warm and steady at the small of my back, his presence a solid wall against the whispers that slithered in our wake.
“They’ll talk,” I said, my voice low.
“Let them,” he replied, not slowing. “They’ve always talked. But they’ll learn. You’re not just my fated mate. You’re my equal. And if they can’t see that—” He turned his head, his gaze sharp. “They’re not welcome here.”
I didn’t answer. Just let him lead me—down stone corridors lit by flickering sconces, past wolves who lowered their eyes, fae who stepped aside, vampires who lingered just a second too long. The bond pulsed between us—steady, insistent—a tether that had once felt like a chain, but now, after the fire, after the kiss, felt like something else.
Like a promise.
We reached the lower levels—the archives, a vast chamber lined with ancient tomes, scrolls sealed in wax, maps etched on wolf hide. The air was thick with the scent of old paper and dust, the silence broken only by the distant echo of footsteps. Torin stood at the entrance, arms crossed, his dark eyes sharp.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked, stepping aside.
Kael didn’t hesitate. “We need the truth. Not lies. Not rumors. Not forged ledgers. Truth.”
I followed him inside, my boots silent on the stone. The room was dim, lit only by a single enchanted lantern that cast long, clawed shadows. Kael moved to a heavy oak table in the center, where the black leather ledger lay—open to the page that had nearly destroyed us.
March 14. Southern Hybrid Envoy. Termination authorized.
Kael Blackthorn.
I flinched. Even now, the sight of his name sent a cold wave through me. The grief. The rage. The way I’d nearly burned him alive.
“It’s a forgery,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “We already know that.”
“We know it,” he agreed, stepping closer. “But knowing and proving are two different things. Elira will twist this. She’ll say the blood ritual was corrupted. That you forced me. That the bond made us see what we wanted to see.”
My breath caught. He was right. Of course he was. Elira wouldn’t let this go. She’d already used Mira to fracture us. She’d already framed him for my sister’s murder. And now—now that we’d stood together, kissed in the great hall, claimed each other—she’d escalate.
She’d destroy us.
Unless we destroyed her first.
“So we prove it,” I said, lifting my chin. “With truth magic.”
He nodded. “Blood to blood. Your sister’s vial. My blood. The ledger will reveal the truth.”
I reached for the vial at my throat—the small glass tube containing the last remnant of my sister, the key to truth magic. It glowed faintly crimson, humming with latent power. I’d carried it for three years, a silent vow, a weapon. And now—now it would be the final piece.
Kael held out his wrist, the silver dagger from his desk already in his other hand. Without hesitation, he sliced a shallow cut across his skin. Dark, rich blood welled up, dripping onto the ledger, hissing as it touched the forged signature.
I uncorked the vial.
The moment the blood inside touched the air, the room exploded.
Light—crimson and gold—flared between us, magic surging like a storm. The bond screamed, a living thing feeding on the power, on the intimacy, on the raw, unfiltered truth of the act. The ledger flew open, the page turning on its own, the ink writhing beneath Kael’s blood.
And then—
It burned.
Not with fire.
With rejection.
Kael’s blood recoiled from the signature, hissing, writhing, as if the magic itself knew the truth—this was not his hand. Not his will. Not his soul.
It was a forgery.
He was innocent.
Again.
But this time—this time, it wasn’t just the bond that knew. This time, the magic itself had spoken.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. My knees buckled. Kael caught me, his arms wrapping around me, his body pressing against mine. Heat flooded me—his heat, the bond’s heat, the heat of relief, of clarity, of something terrifyingly close to peace.
“You see?” he murmured, his voice rough against my ear. “I didn’t kill her.”
I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe. The ledger lay open between us, the proof undeniable. The truth, written in blood.
“But who did?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “If not you… then who?”
He hesitated. Then: “Elira.”
The name hit me like ice water.
Lady Elira. Fae Duchess. Council elder. The woman who’d smiled at me like she knew my secrets. The one who’d purged the hybrids. The one who’d framed Kael.
“She killed my sister to protect you?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“No,” he said, his voice dark. “To control me. To make me afraid. To make me hers.”
I looked up at him—really looked. Saw the scars, the shadows, the loneliness beneath the Alpha’s mask.
And for the first time—
I understood.
Elira wasn’t just a political enemy.
She was his grandmother.
And she wanted him.
Not as a grandson.
But as a weapon.
“She’s using the bond,” I said slowly. “Using us. To manipulate the Council. To start a war.”
“Yes,” he said. “And if we don’t stop her, she’ll win.”
“Then we stop her,” I said, lifting my chin. “Together.”
He didn’t answer. Just held me, his heartbeat syncing with mine, the bond pulsing between us—warm, unbroken, alive.
And in that moment, I knew.
The war wasn’t over.
It had only just begun.
But this time—
We’d fight it together.
***
We left the archives with the ledger sealed in a lead-lined case, the truth locked away until we were ready to unleash it. The keep was quiet—too quiet. The kind of silence that comes before a storm. Wolves moved through the corridors like shadows. Fae attendants whispered behind closed doors. Vampires lingered in the solarium, their smiles too sharp.
They knew.
Something had changed.
And they were waiting to see what would happen next.
Kael didn’t speak as we walked. Just kept his hand at the small of my back, his presence a steady anchor. But I could feel it—the tension in his muscles, the way his scent flared when we passed a fae noble, the way his grip tightened when a vampire’s gaze lingered too long.
He was waiting.
And so was I.
We reached the suite just as the sun began to set, casting long, bloody shadows across the stone. The fire in the hearth had burned low, embers glowing like dying stars. I dropped into a chair by the window, my body still humming from the ritual, from the kiss, from the truth.
Kael stood by the hearth, his silhouette sharp against the dim light. “She’ll come for us,” he said, voice low. “Elira. She won’t let this go.”
“Let her try,” I said, lifting my chin. “We have the truth now. The ledger. The blood ritual. The bond.”
“She has the Council,” he countered. “She has centuries of influence. She has Mira, Cassien, half the fae court in her pocket.”
“And we have each other,” I said, standing. “That’s enough.”
He turned, his golden eyes locking onto mine. “You really believe that?”
“I do,” I said, stepping closer. “I came here to destroy you. To burn your legacy to ash. But now—now I see the truth. You’re not the monster I thought you were. You’re not the killer. You’re the one who’s been fighting to survive.”
His breath hitched.
“And I’m not just your fated mate,” I continued. “I’m your ally. Your partner. Your equal.”
He didn’t move. Just stared at me, his expression unreadable. And then—
He stepped forward.
One hand slid to my waist, pulling me against him. The other lifted, his thumb brushing my lower lip. The bond flared—hot, electric. Our pulses synced. My breath caught.
“You’re not what I expected,” he murmured.
“Neither are you,” I whispered.
And then—
He kissed me.
Not desperate. Not furious.
Slow.
Deep.
Theirs.
The bond flared—hot, blinding, unbearable. Magic surged between us, crimson and gold, witch and wolf, flaring like a living flame. The world stopped. The keep, the Council, Elira—none of it mattered.
Only this.
Only us.
When he pulled back, his forehead rested on mine, his breath warm against my lips. “You’re mine,” he growled, voice rough. “And I’m yours. No more lies. No more games. No more running.”
“No more running,” I agreed, my hands tightening on his shoulders. “We face her together.”
He nodded. “And when the time comes—” His eyes flashed gold. “We burn her down.”
I smiled—small, fierce, real.
“Together.”
Outside, the whispers continued.
But inside—
There was only us.
And the fire that would burn the world down.