(Kael)
The quiet between us was comfortable now. Aria had settled against my side, her breathing slow and even as she watched the water. I could feel her contentment through our bond, and it eased something inside me that had been wound tight for weeks.
This was what I had been missing all these years, ever since Daniel's mother died. Not just a mate, but a true partner. Someone who could sit with me in silence and make it feel like peace instead of loneliness.
I thought about the conversation we had just shared. The honesty, the vulnerability, the way we could speak about our fears without judgment. It was so different from what I had expected when Thunder first marked her. I had thought our relationship would be built on passion and pack duty. Instead, it was growing into something mu
