Aria's POV
She woke to firelight.
Not the cold dungeon torchlight she'd grown used to, but real warmth—soft, flickering amber shadows stretching across stone. The heavy oak door was closed, but not locked. The chains had been removed sometime in the night.
She was alone.
Still in the same room… but not a prisoner anymore.
That realization hit her like a quiet storm.
Kael had kept his word.
He hadn't punished her for escaping. Hadn't chained her tighter. Hadn't tried to seduce or threaten her into obedience.
And that scared her more than if he had.
Because now, he was no longer just the enemy.
He was something worse: a man she didn't know how to hate completely.
Aria sat up slowly, muscles aching. Her wolf stirred, unsettled. The bond thrummed faintly under her skin, like the whisper of a name she didn't want to hear.
She rubbed her face, then looked around.
There—by the hearth—sat a stack of folded clothes. A soft grey tunic. Leather pants. A pair of boots in her size. Beside them, a note.
In a hand she recognized instantly.
"Come to the observatory tower. We need to talk."
—Kael
No commands. No threats.
Just an invitation.
Aria stared at the paper for a long moment… and then, against her better judgment, she got up.
---
The castle at night was hauntingly quiet.
Not eerily so—just… lonely. Echoes in the stone. Dusty chandeliers. The occasional howl of wind against the glass.
She passed no guards.
Not until she reached the eastern stairs, where Draven stood leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, watching her approach with a look that was equal parts challenge and curiosity.
"You survived," he said dryly.
"Sorry to disappoint."
A faint grin tugged at the Beta's lips. "He's in a mood tonight. Just so you know."
"What kind of mood?"
"The dangerous, brooding, might-set-the-roof-on-fire kind."
She rolled her eyes. "Wonderful."
He stepped aside, but before she passed, he added, "Don't take too long to hate him, Aria. The longer you stall, the harder it'll get."
She paused.
Their eyes met.
And for the first time… she saw something strange in Draven's gaze. Regret.
Not for her.
For Kael.
She said nothing, then climbed the winding staircase.
---
The observatory tower was nothing like the rest of the fortress.
Circular, with wide glass windows and an open roof that revealed the silver-scarred sky. Stars spilled across the heavens like scattered diamonds, and in the center of the room stood Kael—backlit by moonlight, still as stone.
He didn't turn when she entered.
"You like the stars?" she asked, voice soft.
"They don't lie," he said.
Aria stepped closer, keeping her distance. "You wanted to talk?"
He nodded, slowly. "You think I'm a monster. Maybe I am. But if you're going to hate me, Aria… hate me for the right reasons."
She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kael finally turned to face her.
And in his eyes, she saw something she'd never seen before.
Pain.
Not rage. Not desire.
Just pain.
"You know what they told you," he said. "Your father. Your pack. That I started the war. That I killed civilians. That I hunted the Vale bloodline for power."
"Because it's true."
"No," he said quietly. "It's not."
He crossed to a side table and pulled out a small wooden box. Inside were letters. Faded. Old. Sealed with a broken sigil she recognized too well.
Her father's.
Kael handed her the top letter.
"Read it."
She hesitated.
Then took it.
And as she read, the world began to tilt.
---
My Dearest Kael,
We move at dawn. Your brother must not survive. The North will fall without him. You were right—his bond with the Crescent Seer is too dangerous. If we wait any longer, the vision will come to pass.
I'll handle the council. You handle the rest.
—Vale
Her fingers trembled.
"No," she whispered. "This is forged."
"I thought so too," Kael said, his voice hollow. "Until I found more. And the Seer's journals. And the dagger used on my brother's heart—the same one your father carried."
Aria shook her head. "You're lying."
"I wish I was."
Silence fell. Thick. Shattering.
Kael stepped forward, stopping just close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath.
"Your father betrayed mine. He betrayed me. He planned the assassination of my bloodline… before I ever raised a blade against yours."
"No," she whispered. But her voice cracked.
"You want the truth?" he asked, voice breaking. "I didn't start the war. I ended it."
She staggered back.
Because somewhere deep inside… her wolf believed him.
And that terrified her more than anything.