"Better?" he asks without turning around, though I catch the slight tension in his shoulders that suggests he's as affected by this morning's conversation as I am.
"Better," I confirm, settling into the chair across from where he works. The distance feels safer than standing close enough to touch, though part of me craves the solid reassurance of his presence.
He glances over his shoulder with an expression I can't quite read. "Bronn was here."
My stomach clenches with familiar dread. "What did he want?"
"To discuss our... arrangement." Kai's jaw tightens as he turns to face me fully, flames casting shadows across features that look carved from stone. "He knows something's changed between us."
"And that's a problem?" The question is harsh as my defensive walls snap back into place despite my best efforts to stay open.
"Not for me." His voice carries conviction that makes warmth bloom in my chest. "But he's pushing for formal binding, using what's happening between us as justification for his political theories."
I lean back in the chair, processing implications that feel like a trap closing around newfound happiness. "So now that we care about each other, he wants to make it official clan business."
"Exactly." Kai crosses to the table, his massive frame moving with fluid grace that shouldn't be possible for someone his size. "Which is exactly what I won't let happen. This is ours, Saela. Whatever grows between us happens because we choose it, not because tradition demands it."
The fierce protectiveness in his voice makes something tight in my chest loosen slightly. He meant what he said earlier about wanting me for myself rather than obligation. The knowledge settles like warmth in my bones, foreign but welcome.
"What did you tell him?"
"That he can wait." Ice-blue eyes meet mine with determination that makes my pulse quicken. "That rushing into a formal ceremony would destroy everything we're building."
Relief floods through me so intensely it leaves me lightheaded. Part of me had been bracing for him to cave to political pressure, to announce that morning clarity made him realize last night was a mistake better corrected through official channels. Instead he's choosing to protect what we have from external interference.
"Thank you," I say quietly, not trusting my voice with anything louder.
He settles into the chair across from me, close enough that I can see golden flecks in his ice-blue eyes. "You don't have to thank me for refusing to let my brother turn our relationship into political theater."
Our relationship. The casual way he says it makes warmth spread through my chest like brandy on an empty stomach. Yesterday I would have flinched at the implication of connection, convinced that depending on anyone was a weakness I couldn't afford. Now the idea of being claimed—truly claimed, by choice rather than circumstance—feels like a gift instead of a burden.
"I've never had a relationship," I admit with honesty that surprises me. "Not really. There was never time or safety for anything beyond basic survival."
Something shifts in his expression, protective instinct mixing with what looks like barely contained anger at a world that taught me to expect so little. "You have time now."
"Do I?" The question emerges before I can stop it, vulnerability bleeding through despite attempts to maintain composure. "With everything happening—Sera, the Stonevein, whatever political pressure your brother represents—how long before circumstances force choices neither of us wants to make?"
Kai leans forward, large hands reaching across the space between us to cover mine. His touch grounds me instantly, callused fingers warm against skin that suddenly feels too sensitive.
"Hey." His voice drops to that rumbling bass that makes my spine straighten with involuntary response. "Look at me."
I meet his ice-blue gaze with effort, gray-green eyes probably showing more fear than I'd like. But something about his steady presence makes honesty feel safer than deflection.
"I meant what I said this morning," he continues with conviction that resonates in my bones. "You're not my responsibility or my burden or something I'm stuck with because of clan politics. You're my choice. And I'll keep choosing you for as long as you'll let me. I won't let anyone else mess that up."
The emotions I'm not equipped to handle flood through my chest in waves. No one has ever spoken to me like that—like I'm worth choosing, worth fighting for, worth more than whatever convenience I might provide.
"I don't know how to do this," I whisper, fingers turning under his to grip with probably more force than necessary.
"Neither do I," he admits with a smile that transforms his entire face. "But we'll figure it out together."
The promise settles something restless in my chest, fear giving way to cautious hope that maybe, for once, I don't have to navigate uncertainty alone. The sensation feels foreign and terrifying and absolutely necessary.
A sharp knock at the door interrupts the moment, a familiar rhythm that makes Kai's expression darken with irritation. "What now?"
"Kai!" Ursik's voice carries urgency that makes both of us straighten with alert attention. "We've got movement near the southern perimeter. Bronn wants you suited up and ready to ride in ten minutes."
My blood turns to ice water, every survival instinct screaming warnings about threats closing in. "Stonevein?"
