The simple declaration breaks whatever control I'd maintained during the escape, emotions flooding throughcarefully maintained barriers in a wave that threatens to overwhelm rational thought. Fear and relief and something deeper, something that feels like gratitude and trust and terrifying possibility.
"I know," I whisper, meaning it completely for the first time since arriving at this settlement.
His forehead rests against mine, breath mingling in cold air while we anchor each other against a storm of adrenaline and aftermath. In this moment, surrounded by winter darkness and recent terror, the careful distance we've maintained dissolves into recognition of something too important for caution.
Something worth protecting despite every risk that caring creates.
12
KAI
Idon't give a damn who sees.
The moment Saela's trembling stops being about adrenaline and starts being about delayed shock, I sweep her up into my arms. Her slight frame fits perfectly against my chest, arms wrapping around my neck with desperate strength that makes something primal roar to life in my ribcage.
Never. Never in my life have I felt terror like the moment Drek burst into the council meeting, gasping about Sera leading Saela away from the settlement. The rational part of my mind shut down completely, replaced by singular focus that burned through every other consideration like wildfire.
"I've got you," I murmur against her hair, carrying her toward the longhouse with strides that eat up ground between us and safety. "You're safe now."
Her face presses into the hollow of my throat, breath warm against skin that feels hypersensitive to every point of contact. The trust implicit in her position—completely vulnerable, allowing me to carry her weight—makes my chest tight with emotions I don't have names for.
Behind us, I'm dimly aware of warriors finishing their sweep, Ursik's voice coordinating prisoner transport and security measures. But their efficiency fades into background noise as my entire world narrows to the woman in my arms and the overwhelming need to get her somewhere private where I can confirm her safety on levels that go beyond visual assessment.
The main path through the settlement brings curious glances from clan members finishing evening tasks, but no one attempts to stop us or ask questions. My expression probably discourages casual conversation, focused intensity that communicates urgent business rather than romantic interlude.
Not that the distinction matters right now. Politics and appearances hold no weight against the driving necessity to shield Saela from further threat, to surround her with walls and locked doors and my own presence standing guard against anything that might cause her harm.
The longhouse door yields to my shoulder, warmth and familiar scents welcoming us into space that represents sanctuary in ways I never fully appreciated before tonight. I carry her toward the main hearth where firelight paints golden patterns across stone walls, setting her down only when we're completely enclosed by safety.
But instead of stepping back once her feet touch solid ground, Saela's arms tighten around my neck with desperate strength. Her gray-green eyes are wide with residual terror and something else, something that looks like recognition of how close we came to permanent separation.
"Don't," she whispers when I start to pull away. "Please don't let go yet."
The request breaks something fundamental inside my chest, defensive walls that have kept emotion at manageable distance crumbling under the weight of her vulnerability. She needscomfort, needs grounding, and every instinct screams at me to provide whatever will help her feel secure again.
My arms encircle her smaller frame, hands mapping the delicate architecture of her spine through layers of winter clothing. She's real and whole and breathing against my chest, heart beating rapid rhythm that gradually slows as safety registers on levels deeper than conscious thought.
"It's over," I say quietly, voice rough with emotions I'm not examining too closely. "She can't hurt you now."
"I know." Saela's words come muffled against my shoulder. "I just... there's so much. Too much happening at once."
Understanding hits with clarity that makes my hands still against her back. Tonight wasn't just about immediate physical danger. It was about betrayal from someone she'd begun to trust, confirmation that the Stonevein threat extends beyond abstract possibility into active pursuit, and the crushing realization that her friend Ressa remains lost somewhere in hostile territory.
Any one of those would be enough to shake someone's equilibrium. All three together, concentrated into the space of minutes, would overwhelm anyone's emotional processing capacity.
"What do you need?" I ask, pulling back just enough to frame her face with my hands. "Tell me how to help."
Her gray-green eyes search mine with intensity that makes my pulse quicken, recognition of something shifting between us that goes beyond protector and protected into territory I've been avoiding since the moment she stumbled into our festivities.
Then she rises on her toes and kisses me.
The contact sends electricity through my nervous system like a lightning strike, soft lips moving against mine with desperate hunger that speaks to needs extending far beyond simple comfort. Her mouth tastes like winter air and underlyingsweetness, feminine heat that makes rational thought dissolve into pure sensation.
For a heartbeat I'm too shocked to respond, too caught off guard by the sudden shift from emotional support to intimate connection. Then she jerks back as if burned, hands flying to cover her mouth while horror dawns across her features.
"I'm sorry," she gasps, backing away with movements that suggest flight instinct triggering despite safe surroundings. "I didn't mean... I shouldn't have..."
"Saela." Her name emerges rough with want I can't hide anymore. "Come here."
