Page 34 of Haunted Crowns
Kareon watched her, the tension in her shoulders, the way her throat moved like she was swallowing words she couldn’t speak. Then the truth struck him, undeniable, like a blade sliding between ribs.
Gently, he reached out and brushed his fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face to his. Eris drew a sharp breath at the touch, her pulse pounding beneath her skin. Their eyes locked, and for the first time, neither of them looked away.
His bare chest barely grazed hers as he pulled her closer. She felt the heat of his skin, the steady rhythm of his breath, and she knew. If she did not step back now, she would not.
Her heart pounded.
His gaze searched hers, waiting, daring her to speak what they both knew.
She did not. Neither did he. Because if they did, there would be no return.
The sound of footsteps. A scrape of leather on stone.
Eris startled, stepping back just as Kaelioth’s voice cut the air, followed by a slow clap.
“If this is a private moment, I can step out.” His tone was light with amusement, but his eyes flicked between them. Sharp. Knowing.
Eris turned quickly, her pulse still racing. Kareon did not move. He stood exactly where he was, shoulders squared, breath measured and controlled. But something in his stance had shifted tighter.
Kaelioth arched a brow. “DidI interrupt something?”
Kareon exhaled slowly. It was not quite a laugh, more the release of something restrained.
“Not at all.”
Eris’s heart was still slamming against her ribs.
Kaelioth didn’t need to press. The glint in his eyes said everything. He had seen enough. He knew.
Eris forced a breath, smoothing her hands down her arms. As if she could scrub away the heat still licking at her skin. But the air between them still burned.
Kaelioth’s smirk lingered. His gaze flicked between them, filing away every unsaid thing. Enjoying the tension still crackling in the space Kareon had yet to step away from.
Kareon exhaled slowly, but shifted, just enough to place himself between them. A silent warning. A quiet claim. He wouldn’t let Kaelioth see her like this. Not when she was still exposed. His pulse hammered, but his voice came out low and dangerous.
“What do you want, Kaelioth?”
The shaman stretched slowly, the movement exaggerated and lazy, as if he had only just remembered why he was there. “Ah, right. That.” His gaze flicked to Eris. The smirk lingered, too knowing. “Since she is here, she might as well participate.”
Kareon went rigid. “No.” The word snapped from his lips, instinctive.
Kaelioth lifted a brow, still amused. “You do not even know what I was going to say.”
“I don’t need to.” Kareon’s stance shifted, no longer just a shield, but a warning. Instinct. Protectiveness. Something deeper.
Kaelioth’s smirk widened. “Relax, Alpha. I was merely suggesting she join the warriors for the Rite of Awakening. No point in standing around doing nothing, right?”
Kareon’s fingers curled into fists. “She’s not one of us. You don’t know what this will do to her.”
Kaelioth tilted his head, studying them like a puzzle that had just fallen into place. “And yet she is here. Of all nights.” His voice softened, contemplative. “Perhaps the spirits are shifting the pieces where they should go.”
Eris, silent until now, straightened.
“What is the Rite of Awakening?”
Kaelioth spread his hands. “A way for warriors to connect with the ancestors. To draw strength, wisdom, and guidance.” His gaze returned to Eris, more calculating. “If the spirits choose to speak, they will.”
Eris did not hesitate. “Then I will do it.”
