For a moment, it feels like we’re the only two people in the world. His gaze doesn’t waver, locking me in place, and I can’t look away. My wolf hums with approval, her presence stronger than ever, as if she’s finally found what we’ve been missing.
But then reality creeps back in, and I catch sight of Sabrina.
She stands at the edge of the dance floor, her silver dress glinting under the chandelier lights, her expression frozen in disbelief. Her mother, Ravena, stands beside her, her sharp features twisted in anger. Their fury is palpable, radiating across the room, but Kael doesn’t seem to notice—or care. His focus is entirely on me.
“Kael,” I whisper, my voice shaky. “Why… why are you doing this?”
His eyes flicker with something I can’t name, and his grip on my waist tightens slightly, as if anchoring me to him. “Because I wanted to,” he says simply, his deep voice steady and low, as if that explains everything.
I’m too stunned to respond, as his words settle in my chest. I can feel the eyes of the entire room on us, their whispers like a distant hum. But in this moment, with Kael’s hands on me and his woodsy scent filling my lungs, none of it matters. Nothing matters except the way he makes me feel—seen, wanted, alive.
And for the first time in my life, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, I’m not invisible after all.
Kael’s hand rests firmly on my waist, his other holding mine as we move in sync across the floor. His presence is overwhelming—his touch, his scent, the way his gaze pins me in place. I can hardly breathe, let alone think.