Kael's POV.
I stood by the window, my hand pressed against the frame as the night air slipped in through the crack. The moon was high, pale and silent, but I could not feel peace.
My chest ached, not from my healing wound, but from the emptiness beside me. Aria. My Luna. She had gone into the night with my warriors, and though I had agreed, though I had let her go, I could not shake the weight that pressed on me.
Behind me, I heard the restless pacing of the elder. His feet scraped against the stone floor. His shallow breaths filled the quiet. I could almost taste his fear in the air.
"It's been too long," he muttered, his voice trembling. "They should have returned by now… what if something happened? What if they—"
"Quiet," I said sharply, not turning to face him. My voice came out harsher than I intended, but I couldn't control it. My own fear was clawing inside me, and his words only gave it teeth.
