Chapter 50

Kaden looked up at me, his eyes wide in shock, his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. He looked almost as if he was in a trans…dazed, like he couldn’t believe what had just happened. His lips were swollen from our kiss, and his voice was horse as he whispered, “ You accepted the mating bond.”

I blinked, the reality of his words settling over me. The mating bond. I had. I had accepted it without even thinking, without even realizing what I had done. But now, with the way my heart was pounding, the way my body hummed with energy and warmth, I knew it was true. I had accepted the bond, and there was no going back.

Before I could respond, a whistle from the distance broke the tension between us. Kaden and I both turned our heads, and there, standing at the edge of the training grounds, were Zaden, Mike, and Seth. All three of them were grinning like fools, making exaggerated gestures and laughing among themselves.

“ If that’s the way Meara would be fighting against the enemy,” Seth called out, “ then I want to be the enemy!”

Zaden smirked. “ Careful, Seth. You’re talking to your future to your future queen.”

I could feel my cheeks burning as I scrambled off Kaden, my heart still racing, my body still tingling from the kiss. Kden remained on the ground for a moment, his chest heaving as he stared up at the sky, looking like he was in some kind of trance.

I glanced over at the others, feeling both embarrassed and exposed under their watchful eyes. They had seen the entire thing—the kiss, the way I had pinned Kaden, everything. I wasn’t sure if I should laugh of hide. Maybe both.

Kaden finally stood, brushing off the dirt from his pants, his expression unreadable. His gaze met mine, and I could see the same hunger in his eyes, but also a flicker of something more—something deeper.
Without a word, he turned to the others. “ Get back to training,” he ordered, his voice firm but a little strained.

“ Or I’ll make sure you’re sparring with me next.”

Mike and Seth exchanged glances, clearly trying to suppress their laughter, but they quickly returned to their own sparring matches. Zaden, however, lingered a moment longer, giving me a knowing look before he nodded and headed off.

The training yard fell back into its usual rhythm, the sound of clashing weapons filling the air once again. But the tension between Kaden and me still lingered, thick, hanging in the space between us.

I could feel Kaden’s eyes on me as I walked back toward the center of the yard, my heart still racing. Every step I took, I felt the pull between us growing stronger, the bond that had always been there now undeniable.

Kaden opened his mouth as if to say something, and I couldn’t help but imagine those lips on mine again. His mere presence set my heart racing, making it hard to focus on anything else.

Before he could get a word out, I blurted, “ It’s rather hot out here, isn’t it?”

I fanned my face dramatically, though the heat I felt wasn’t from the sun. It was from him—burning me up inside.

“ Meara,” he said softly, his voice doing things to me I couldn’t describe.

But I wasn’t ready for whatever came next. I interrupted him quickly. “ I think I’ve had enough training for today.” Without waiting for his response, I turned on my heel and started walking away.
I could feel his eyes on me as I moved, every step making my body ache with the pull of wanting to turn back to him. Each breath I took seemed to burn with the tension that had settled between us. My legs felt weak, but not from the sparring.

I wanted him—his touch, his body over mine, his lips on my skin again. The realization of it made me stumble for a second. I forced myself to keep walking, shaking the thoughts from my head, but the desire wouldn’t leave.

By the time I reached the palace, I was almost running. I needed to get away, needed distance from the magnetic pull of him before I did something reckless.

I bolted up the stairs, nearly tripping as I reached my chambers. I closed the door quickly behind me, leaning against it for a moment, grateful Merilla wasn’t there to ask questions.
My body was burning with heat I didn’t know how to deal with, a strange sensation between my legs making it worse. I needed to cool down—literally. A bath. A cold bath.

I hurried into the large bathing chamber connected to my room, the space designed like something out of a dream, with the tub set in the center and open arch windows allowing the fresh air and view of the kingdom beyond to sweep in.

Without wasting another second, I stripped out of my clothes, turning the taps to fill the tub with cool water. The stone floor felt cool beneath my feet as I stood waiting, my mind racing with thoughts of Kaden. His teasing, the way he pinned me down earlier—my breath caught just thinking about it.

When the bath was ready, I slid in, sighing as the cold water began to soothe the heat that had been building in me. But even as the water lapped around me, my mind couldn’t fully escape him. It was like he was etched into my skin, the ghost of his touch lingering.

I closed my eyes, sinking deeper into the water, trying to wash away the feelings that refused to leave.



*****


Last night, sleep evaded me. It wasn’t my sore muscles from the training that kept me awake, though that had certainly played its part. No, it was my mind—constantly circling back to what had happened yesterday. The kiss. Kaden’s words: You accepted the bond.

Was that really how it worked? Was one kiss all it took for the mate bond to solidify? I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. How could one kiss consume my thoughts so completely? Every time I closed my eyes, I relived that moment, the weight of Kaden’s body on mine, his lips against mine, the way the world had seemed to stop spinning for a heartbeat.

I hadn’t gone to dinner last night. I’d used my sore muscles as an excuse, but in reality, I just couldn’t face Kaden. I wasn’t ready to talk about the bond or what it meant. I needed time to process, time to figure things out without the weight of expectation looming over me. I didn’t want to rush into anything, not when everything felt so overwhelming.

The next morning, after breakfast, Kaden called for a meeting in the library. I could feel his presence even before I walked in. My heart thudded in my chest as I saw him waiting, but I pushed those feelings down, determined to keep my focus.

Once everyone was gathered—Zaden, Mike, Seth, and me—Kaden began explaining his new plan. He told them about the new information I had shared regarding Claire and how she had helped me escape from Dravonia. He also spoke about the Harvesting, the gruesome process I’d learned about during my time in Dravonia, where innocent lives were sacrificed for some dark purpose.

“ We need to adjust our strategy,” Kaden said, his voice firm. “ We can’t just charge in and fight. There are innocent people there—some of them born with the cursed mark but not evil. We need to find a way to save them.”

Mike crossed his arms, frowning in thought. “ How will we know who’s innocent and who isn’t? Just because someone has the mark doesn’t mean they’re loyal to Kyrell or his cause.”

“ That’s the problem,” Kaden replied. “ We don’t know. But that doesn’t mean we can sacrifice innocent lives. We’ll have to be careful, precise.”

Zaden leaned back in his chair; his eyes thoughtful. “ It complicates things, but it’s not impossible. We’ll have to infiltrate more quietly, find out who’s aligned with Kyrell and who isn’t.”

As Kaden laid out the revised plans, I listened closely. Every word he said weighed heavily on me. I knew firsthand what kind of danger lay within Dravonia, but I also knew there were people—like Claire—who deserved to be saved.

Before the meeting ended, Kaden mentioned something that caught my attention. “ Deon is on his way back from Calenthe,” he said. “ And he’s bringing Cassandra with him.”
Cassandra. The name didn’t ring any bells for me, and my curiosity sparked. Who was she? And why was Deon bringing her back with him? I didn’t dare ask, though, not with everyone else around. There would be time for that later.

Once the meeting concluded, the others left, but Kaden stayed behind. I lingered by one of the bookshelves, my fingers tracing the spines of old, worn tomes, trying to distract myself from the tension that had settled between us.