Kael's POV.
I slammed the bedroom door behind me, my breath catching in my throat, my heart pounding like a drum.
The image of Aria's wrists, red and bruised from my grip, burned in my mind, her scream echoing in my ears. I'd hurt her, my Luna, my mate, and I hated myself for it.
I knew she was Aria, not Celeste, hiding her true name, and I was playing along, waiting for her to trust me with the truth.
She didn't know I knew, and now I'd scared her, pinned her to the bed, my claws digging into her skin.
My chest ached, guilt and fear twisting like a knife. I didn't know why it happened, why I froze, why I saw something so terrifying. I needed air, space, anything to clear my head.
I ran to the fields behind the packhouse, my boots pounding the dirt, the cool evening air hitting my face.
The sky was turning orange, the sun low, the grass swaying in the breeze. I stopped in the middle of the field, my hands on my knees, my breath heavy.
