Rayne POV
"Tell me what you're hiding, Kael." My voice broke the suffocating silence, trembling with desperation and hunger for the truth.
He stood a few feet away, his shoulders tense, his jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grinding. He refused to meet my eyes, and his silence cut deeper than any sharp sword have seen.
"Kael," I said again, stepping closer to him.
"I trusted you from the very first day. I defended you anytime I had the chance to do so. If there's something I need to know..."
"You wouldn't understand any of this," he interrupted, his voice low and bitter.
I froze. "Try me."
He turned sharply, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.
"You think this is simple, Rayne? You think I want to keep secrets away from my own mate? That I enjoy hiding pieces of myself?"
"Then don't!" I yelled. The words echoed into the forest around us.