Page 43 of A Sunwoven Ascent

“The pack’s finished.”

“I’m not,” he replied easily.

She turned to face him, setting her feet automatically. Kaldrek circled her once, eyes tracking her posture with an intensity that made her acutely aware of every inch of herself.

“You strike like you’re still thinking,” he remarked. “You’re too careful.”

“Forgive me,” she said dryly. “I was raised to be a lady.”

He smiled and reached out, hands settling at her hips before she could comment. He adjusted her stance with practiced ease, thumbs pressing firmly as he shifted her weight.

“You fight like someone who knows she’s dangerous but hasn’t decided how much she wants to enjoy it. And I want to see you enjoy it.”

Her breath caught despite herself. “Is this instruction,” she murmured, “or are you simply taking advantage of the moment?”

Kaldrek leaned in, his voice low against her ear. “Both.”

His mouth brushed her neck, a brief, unrepentant kiss that sent a shiver straight down her spine. Evelyne inhaled sharply, fingers curling at her sides.

“Kaldrek,” she warned, glancing pointedly toward the treeline. “We’re very much in the open.”

His arrogant smile grew. “I’m the alpha. If they wish to watch, let them.” His lips hovered near her skin again. “Might do them good to remember what they don’t have.”

She laughed under her breath, half scandalized, half tempted to test just how far he’d push it. “You are impossible.”

“And yet,” he said, hands still firm at her waist, “you’re still standing here.”

She twisted free just enough to put space between them, though her eyes still sparked. “You’re distracting.”

“That,” he said, stepping back at last, “is not a flaw.”

They stood there for a moment, the tension easing into something quieter, more grounded.

“How do you think tonight will go?” she asked softly.

Kaldrek’s smirk faded, replaced by something more guarded. “Cillian has much work ahead of him.”

“That wasn’t an answer,” she said gently.

“Selene is cautious. She will not allow him to try again if she believes it will break him.” A pause. “I trust her judgment.”

“And Alaric?” Evelyne pressed.

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “If there is a chance,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “then it will be taken. But I will not promise you outcomes I cannot guarantee.”

Evelyne studied him, noting the restraint beneath his control. The weight he carried but refused to share.

“Thank you for not lying to me.”

He stepped closer again, this time without teasing. “I won’t give you false hope,” he said quietly. “But I won’t stop fighting for him either.”

That, she realized, was the truth he was willing to offer. And for now, it was enough.

***

The light in Cillian’s hands dimmed into something steadier, no longer flaring but moving in controlled pulses. As it sank into Alaric’s chest, Kaldrek saw it again: darkness drawing loose.

Thin strands of black mist slipped from Alaric’s skin, twisting and writhing as though unwilling to surrender their hold. The light coaxed them outward with quiet force, stretching them into fragile coils. Kaldrek had seen that corruption once before, spilling from Alaric like visible poison. This time, it clung less fiercely. It unraveled even as it retreated, dissolving into nothing before it could reach the walls.