Page 36 of Elemental Becoming

I should turn around; let him be alone with whatever thoughts hold him in the dark.

But I don’t. The bond won’t let me.

I step forward.

Thane looks over his shoulder before I can speak. His eyeslock onto mine, and the air between us shifts. Something unspoken lingers there.

“You’re awake,” he murmurs, offering a tired smile.

“So are you.”

I step out onto the balcony, the cool air wrapping around my skin, lifting the loose sleeves of my robe. He watches me for a beat, his eyes unreadable, before turning back toward the city.

I cross the balcony to him.

Without a word, I wrap my arms around his waist, resting against his back. He stills for a moment, muscles tensing beneath my touch—then he exhales, his body easing as he turns in my arms. His embrace is quiet strength. His bare chest is warm against my cheek where I rest my head.

For a long moment, neither of us speaks. I hear the beat of his heart beneath my ear, feel the way his hands settle on the small of my back, holding me there. We stand like that, looking out over Volcaris together. The city stretches beyond the cliffs, golden lights flickering in the darkness. The wind moves around us, cool against my skin, but Thane is warm, solid, and real.

And for a moment, it feels like the bond isn’t pulling me toward him. It’s holding us here, together, existing in the same space, breathing the same air.

The wind carries the distant sound of waves crashing against the cliffs beyond the city, the deep bellows of the forges burning in the lower districts.

“You grew up here,” I say, my voice soft.

Thane rests his chin on the top of my head. “Yes.”

“It must have been . . . ” I hesitate, searching for the right word. “ . . . different. Back when your mother was alive. When your father was still well.”

His arms tighten slightly around me. “It was.”

I shift, tilting my head back to look at him, my hands resting lightly against his solid chest. His hold stays firm as his gazemeets mine.

Gods, he looks beautiful. The moonlight turns his dark hair silver at the edges, casting soft shadows along the sharp cut of his jaw, the high angles of his cheekbones. There is so much strength in him, so much presence.

And yet, tonight, weariness lingers in his eyes.

“Will you tell me about it?”

His jaw flexes. For a moment, I think he’s going to tell me no. Then, he exhales. “What do you want to know?”

“Your family.” The words slip out before I can stop them.

Thane is silent for so long I wonder if I’ve pushed too far. But then, he speaks.

“Kastiel was the best of us.” His voice is rough and quiet with vulnerability.

“I believe Rowena would fight him for that title,” I say.

His lips curve slightly, but the expression doesn’t reach his eyes. “She would.” He exhales. “But even she knew. He was our father’s heir. The strongest. The one who always did everything right. He never hesitated, never doubted. Unlike me.”

“You doubt?” I ask. Thane doesn’t seem like someone who doubts anything, ever.

He lets out a short breath—not quite a laugh, but close. “Every fucking day. I grew up knowing I would never be him. And I was fine with that.”

A pause.

“Until the day I had to be.”