The air was heavy with the aftermath of Darius's fall. His blood still painted the dirt, dark and steaming where his body had landed. The scent of death clung to the trees, but all Kael could hear was the echo of her voice.
Tell Ronan… I'm not his prey anymore.
Five words. And yet they hit like thunder.
Aria stood unmoving in the silence that followed, chest heaving, eyes wide as if stunned by her own defiance. The pack stared, jaws slack, hearts thundering in disbelief. She had spoken. Not signed. Not scribbled. Not nodded or gestured. She had spoken, and the words hadn't cracked or stumbled,they had cut.
Kael took a slow step toward her, not wanting to spook her. "Aria?" he said softly.
She blinked at him, a flicker of fear crossing her face fear not of him, but of what she'd just done.
"I didn't mean to," she whispered, voice raw, unfamiliar even to her own ears. "It just… came out."
Kael reached for her hands. "You don't have to explain. But if you want to, I'm here."
