Caelan POV:
I reach the border earlier than I need to.
I tell myself it’s habit — the discipline of knowing the edges of my land, of feeling its pulse before anyone else crosses it. An Alpha should always know his boundaries, should always arrive first.
But Vaelor stirs low in my chest, not in warning, not in challenge, in anticipation. Last night I let instinct take over, the crash down to earth was harder to control. I can’t let instinct rule my decisions again, even in private, it has to be a choice for me to make as much as Elara.
I steady my breathing and let my awareness stretch outward, grounding myself in the familiar terrain. The earth is cool beneath my shoes, the air clean, carrying the faint echo of distant movement. I barely have time to settle before I feel her.
Elara cr
