The night was eerily quiet after Vane's departure, leaving only the soft rustle of leaves and the faint, distant howls of wolves in the wind. Lyra stood frozen, her body tense, and her mind reeling with a cacophony of emotions she could barely comprehend.
Kael, only a few feet away, watched her with a gaze so intense, it felt like it could burn through her. But Lyra couldn't meet his eyes. Not after everything Vane had said. She had spent so long fighting against Kael's control, resisting his dominance, only to find herself tangled in a web of feelings she didn't understand. Worse still, her trust in him, fragile as it was, had been shaken by Vane's insidious words.
Could it be true? Could Kael really have been using her all along?
"Lyra," Kael's voice broke the silence, low and rough. "Don't let him do this. Don't let him tear us apart."
