My wolf growled audibly, every nerve in my body screaming. I stared at both of them. Kael saw the fire in my eyes, saw the storm rising—but when he tried to step closer, I stepped back.
He paused mid-step.
I looked him straight in the eye, my voice low, steady, final.
“You made your choice, Kael. And now, I’ve made mine.”
I would leave. I would find my daughter. And I would not stop—not for him, not for her, not for any of them.
Kael’s hand twitched, reaching out as if he’d finally realized the gravity of what was slipping away. But before he could reach me, Celeste seized his wrist gently, as if claiming him again. Kaiden wrapped his small arms around Kael’s leg, grounding him, keeping him there.
He did not follow.
He did not fight for me.
And as I walked away, each step felt heavier than the last—but I didn’t stop. Behind me, Kael watched in silence, something deep within him breaking at last.
I would make sure that pain haunted him for the rest of his life.
