Kael's POV
“I’m not those people.”
The server returns with our wine. I watch Elara take a careful sip, and she smiles slightly at the taste. Quality wine, not the swill she’s probably used to.
“This is really good,” she admits reluctantly.
“Everything here will be good. That’s why we’re here.”
She takes another sip, and I see some of the tension leave her shoulders.
“I still think this is all too much. And I still don’t know why you’re doing all this for me.”
Because you’re my mate. Because you deserve every good thing in the world. Because I want to watch you discover what it feels like to be cherished.
“Because I can.”
Our food arrives—tender meat in a rich sauce, with vegetables that taste like something other than survival. I watch Elara eat, noting the way she savors each bit
