Chapter Nine__Part:2

"What did you say?" My voice was barely above a whisper, my heart racing with a mix of confusion and hurt.

Kaden stood there, his face steady, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. "Astrid."

"Don't." My hand came up reflexively, stopping him from saying more. "Just... don't. You knew all along, didn't you? About the wolves? About all of this?"

He exhaled slowly, his gaze holding mine. "Yes."

That single word sent a pang through me. I sank back against the headboard, shaking my head in disbelief. "Do you know how all this fucking sounds?! You let me walk around this place, completely clueless, while you knew everything. And you didn't say a word."

He stepped closer, his voice calm but edged with something deeper. "I didn't tell you because I wanted to protect you. This world, my world, is dangerous, Astrid. I needed to make sure you were ready to understand it."

I bit my lip, trying to gather my thoughts. It wasn't just about wolves or even about this realm being different from mine. It was the fact that he'd kept me in the dark. I'd been grappling with my own feelings, torn between him and everything I'd left behind, and all the while, he had the answers.

"Ready?" I repeated softly. "You didn't give me a chance to be ready, Kaden. You kept me out of the truth. And now I'm standing here, feeling like... like I've been living a lie."

His eyes softened, and he took a small step closer. "I didn't want to overwhelm you. You've been through enough."

"I get that," I said, my voice steady but laced with quiet hurt. "But you should have trusted me. I've been so confused, so unsure of what's been happening between us. You knew there was something more, didn't you? That connection... you knew about it, and you never said anything."

Kaden's jaw tightened, the mask of control slipping just slightly. "It's complicated, Astrid. The bond between us is not something I could just explain without scaring you. It's deeper than either of us could have anticipated."

"I'm not scared, Kaden," I whispered, shaking my head. "I'm... I'm just trying to understand why you didn't trust me with the truth."

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "It wasn't about trust. It was about timing. You had so much to process, and I didn't want to add to it. I thought... I thought if you got to know me first, without the weight of the bond hanging over us, you could choose me for who I am. Not because of some ancient force pulling us together."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. I looked into his eyes and saw the struggle there, the vulnerability he was trying to hide. He wasn't trying to deceive me, he was trying to protect me in his way.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as I tried to sort through the confusion. "So, everything I've been feeling... the way I can't get you out of my head... it's because of a bond?"

"Yes and no," he said softly, his voice gentler now. "The bond is real, but it only amplifies what's already there. It doesn't create feelings out of nothing."

I looked at him, searching his face for answers, feeling the weight of his words. "So you've felt it too... this whole time?"

Kaden nodded, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that made my heart race. "From the moment I saw you."

I let out a slow breath, trying to make sense of everything. "I just wish you'd told me sooner, Kaden. I don't want to feel like I'm being kept in the dark. I want to understand."

"I know," he said, stepping closer until he was right in front of me. His hand gently touched my arm, grounding me. "And I promise no more secrets. You deserve to know everything. We'll figure this out. Together."

I met his gaze, feeling the warmth of his hand and the sincerity in his voice. There was still so much to process, but in that moment, the anger faded, replaced by a quiet understanding.

"Okay," I whispered. "No more secrets."

Kaden nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. "No more secrets."

And somehow, despite everything, I believed him.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was already past midnight. He followed my gaze and faced back to me. "Listen, it's getting late. Why don't you sleep? You can ask me questions when you recover."

"Will you stay with me," I look at him, hoping he won't protest this time.

"You really want me to stay?"

"Yes, but can you do me a favor?"

"Tell me your wish?" He adorably grins.

"Change your clothes."

"Huh?" His face was completely confused. "You want me to...change clothes? Why?"

"What you're wearing is outside clothes, and outside clothes do not belong in the bed where you rest."

His smirk appeared, "You know I'm a Lycan, right? And you're an archeologist... do you know how much dirt..."

"Can you please put on clean pajamas? I have a thing with dirt, and I can't rest easy if it's in bed when I sleep."

He puts his hands up and stifles a laugh. "Alright, you win. I'll... change my clothes for you... my queen."

And with that, he leaves the room to change. Did he say, my queen?

As I settled deeper into the bed, the tension from earlier slowly melted away. Kaden sat beside me, his usual cool demeanor softened by the moment. For a second, it felt right, us sitting in bed together like this. The thought made me smile.

"What?" Kaden asked, noticing the grin on my face.

I shook my head, trying to suppress the growing amusement. "Nothing. It's just... I never thought I'd see you in pajamas."

Kaden raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth quirking up. "Is that so? What did you expect me to sleep in, royal armor?"

I snorted at the mental image of Kaden trying to climb into bed in full armor. "I mean, it would suit your whole 'brooding king' vibe."

He gave me a playful glare. "Brooding? That's what you think of me?"

I shrugged innocently. "Well, you do have a habit of lurking in corners and glaring at people."

Kaden rolled his eyes, leaning back against the headboard. "I don't lurk," he protested, though there was a hint of humor in his voice.

"Mmm, sure you don't. You just... observe quietly while looking like you might pounce on someone at any moment." I couldn't help but laugh, imagining him doing just that.

Kaden shot me an exaggerated, offended look. "I'll have you know, I'm quite approachable."

"Oh, totally. All warm and fuzzy," I teased, pretending to hug an invisible teddy bear. "I'm sure everyone finds you so cuddly."

He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "You're impossible."

"And yet, here you are," I shot back, nudging his arm with my elbow.

He leaned into the nudge just slightly, a smirk on his face. "Yes, well, someone's got to make sure you don't cause any more trouble before sunrise."

I feigned an innocent look. "Me? Cause trouble? I'm a perfectly responsible adult."

Kaden let out a low laugh, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Right. Tell that to the Elder you knocked halfway across the room today."

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "Don't remind me! That was not my finest moment."

"On the contrary," he mused, leaning back slightly, "it was more impressive and alarming than anything else."

I peeked out from behind my hands, giving him a cautious look. "Alarming? Watching me nearly lose control, that's your reaction?"

He nodded, his expression was a bit more serious now, the teasing glint replaced by something softer. "Yes. I wasn't thinking about the Elder or anyone else in that room. I was thinking about you."

I blinked, surprised by his honesty. "Me?"

Kaden's gaze stayed steady, the usual playfulness gone. "Watching you go through that wasn't entertaining, Astrid. It was hard to see you hurting. I'm just glad you're okay."

I swallowed, the weight of his words sinking in. "You're not as terrible as I thought, then."

A small, almost shy smile tugged at his lips. "Don't let that get out."

For a moment, we just sat there, the lightheartedness between us feeling refreshing after everything that had happened. But as the silence stretched, my thoughts started to drift, particularly to how close we were, how his hand rested casually beside mine. The way the moonlight highlighted his sharp features, casting shadows over his strong jawline, made my heart skip a beat.

I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to lean in just a little bit more to close the distance between us. My mind wandered to thoughts of his hands brushing against my skin, his breath close to my ear...

Kaden's voice cut through my musings, snapping me back to reality. "You're thinking about something," he said, narrowing his eyes slightly, clearly amused by my absent expression.

"What? No, I'm not," I blurted, sitting up straighter and waving it off far too quickly.

Kaden raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Uh-huh. Sure, you're not."

Heat crept up my neck as I tried to compose myself. "I was just... wondering how you can look so unbothered after everything that happened today."

"Unbothered?" he repeated, crossing his arms, clearly enjoying my flustered state. "I wouldn't say that."

"Well, you do a good job of hiding it," I muttered, hoping he wouldn't press further into my very specific daydreams.

He sighed, the teasing edge fading as he glanced toward the door. "I hide it because I need to. For you."

His words hit deeper than I expected, and the intensity of the moment returned. But before I could let myself linger in it too much, Kaden leaned in, his voice low but firm. "You need rest, Astrid."

I blinked, momentarily thrown by the change in tone. "What?"

"I mean it. You've been through a lot today, and you're still recovering. You need to sleep."

I frowned. "But—"

"No buts," he cut me off, the smirk returning. "Doctor's orders."

I narrowed my eyes, unimpressed. "You're not a doctor."

"Well, I'm in charge, and I say you rest." He leaned down, pulling the covers up over me in a mock-serious manner.

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Fine, but you're not getting out of answering my questions tomorrow."

He gave me a playful salute. "Deal."

We both settled into the bed, lying back against the pillows. I could feel Kaden's warmth beside me, and though he wasn't touching me, his presence was enough to make my heart beat a little faster.

"Goodnight, Astrid," he said softly, his voice close but comforting.

"Goodnight, Kaden," I whispered, my thoughts still trailing to the way his eyes softened when he looked at me and the way his voice had dropped when he had promised to stay.

As I drifted toward sleep, a small, intimate part of me wondered what it would feel like if he stayed beside me every night. But for now, I let the comfort of knowing he was there lull me into much-needed rest.